Farm owners 'devastated' at slaughter of 271 'unidentifiable and untraceable' cattle

Owners of a farm in Fife have said they are “devastated” at having to slaughter 271 cattle after a Scottish Government inspection found the animals were “unidentifiable and untraceable”.

Inspectors made the discovery during a routine Cattle Identification and Traceability Inspection at Falkland Estate.

Under livestock regulations, cattle must be properly identified and traceable to help prevent and control disease outbreaks.

The Scottish Government said these regulations had not been met, so the animals were placed under a permanent movement restriction, meaning they “cannot enter the food chain”.

It was confirmed that the farm has made the decision to slaughter the animals.

On Thursday, the business said it fully accepts responsibility for the “failures in management and oversight” that led to the culling.

“This is an unprecedented and deeply distressing situation for everyone connected with Home Farm, Falkland Estate and the wider local community,” Ninian Stuart, chair of Falkland Rural Enterprises Ltd, said.

“We fully accept responsibility for the failures in management and oversight that have led us to this point. The standards expected of our business were not met, and for that, I am sincerely sorry.

“We are devastated by this outcome. The loss of livestock on this scale is something none of us ever wanted to see, and we recognise the profound impact it has had on our staff, our neighbours and the wider community that has long supported the estate.”

“Our priority now is to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare throughout this process, support the staff who have been deeply affected, and continue working closely with the relevant authorities to address the consequences of these failures,” Mr Stuart said.

“What began as concerns identified during a routine veterinary inspection developed into a far more serious issue than anyone initially anticipated.

“As the scale of the problem became clear, we took the decision to involve the Scottish Government and work openly and transparently with the relevant authorities to establish the facts and determine the appropriate course of action.

Mr Stuart continued: “The estate team has worked tirelessly alongside government officials, veterinary advisers and external specialists throughout this investigation. While the findings are deeply regrettable, investigating and addressing the matter fully was essential.

“We are committed to learning every lesson from this situation and putting in place the systems, controls and oversight necessary to ensure it can never happen again.”

A Government spokesperson said: “While undertaking a Cattle Identification and Traceability Inspection at a farm in Fife, Scottish Government Inspectors found non-compliance with regulations.

“Identification and Traceability regulations for livestock must be adhered with for disease prevention, control, eradication and the protection of public health.

“During the inspection 271 animals were found to be unidentifiable and untraceable which means they cannot enter the food chain and are placed under a permanent movement restriction.

“In this case the business has taken the difficult decision to slaughter the animals – Scottish Government inspectors will attend to verify the slaughter.”

Cattle in Scotland must be individually identified with ear tags and all births, deaths, and movements must be recorded through the ScotEID system.

The rules are designed to ensure livestock can be traced to protect public health.

The Scottish Government says the rules “must be adhered to for disease prevention, control, eradication and the protection of public health.”