Group wins compensation for slaughtered dairy cows

The Port Elizabeth High Court has ruled in favour of the Grasslands Group of dairy farms which recently took the Department of Agriculture to court over alleged irregularities in compensation for dairy cows slaughtered under Animal Disease Act No 35 of 1984.
Issue Date: 30 March 2007

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The Port Elizabeth High Court has ruled in favour of the Grasslands Group of dairy farms which recently took the Department of Agriculture to court over alleged irregularities in compensation for dairy cows slaughtered under Animal Disease Act No 35 of 1984. “It is a very strong judgment,” said Giel de Swart, legal representative for the group, adding the department is yet to indicate if it will seek to appeal the ruling.

The department has three weeks from the date of the judgment to seek permission. Judge Chris Jansen ruled the department pay the applicants the difference between slaughter and fair market value together with interest. The department also has to pay the costs of the court application. “I am very pleased with the ruling,” said Trevor Elliot, managing director of the Grasslands Group. n May 2004 bovine tuberculosis was detected on one of the Grassland Group’s dairy farms following routine tests.

On instruction by the state vet, the farm was quarantined and dairy cows suspected of being infected were slaughtered. The disputed the compensation paid as it was based on the slaughter value, rather than the fair market value for the animals. As a dairy cow produces milk and calves, compensation will be higher than for an animal bred only for slaughter purposes. The market value of a dairy cow is R7 000 and in 2004, when slaughtering first took place, they received R1 200 per animal. – Wilma den Hartigh

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