A farmer from Somerset has become the first breeder since Brexit to import live sheep from the EU after managing to complete all the lengthy paperwork required.
Twelve Racka sheep who were imported from an Austrian breeder, made the Calais to Dover crossing following six weeks of negotiations with officials.
New owner Rose Overton said Defra officials from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Alpha) had initially claimed it was impossible to import sheep from the EU into the UK.
The sheep arrived at Beer Mill Farm in Taunton on 26 November. The 10 ewe lambs and two ram lambs are now housed for a 30-day quarantine, having been tested for diseases.
“It took 25 hours for the sheep to travel from farm to farm, and that was with a delay at Calais and traffic holdups,” said Mrs Overton, a teacher.
Once the sheep docked in Calais, Mrs Overton made the journey over by a ferry to complete the paperwork.
“Everything had to be translated and duplicated. I even had the Austrians translating every piece of paperwork for Alpha,” she added.
The new sheep will join Mrs Overton’s rare breed flock of Gotland, Manx, Loaghtan, Cattlemilk Moorit, Sheltand and Valais Blacknose sheep.
LSL News.