Plea against compulsory electronic scheme

Jul 3 2008 by Tom Patterson, The Journal

ELECTRONIC identification and individual movement recording of sheep will drive farmers out of the industry, the Government has been warned.

That was the message a delegation representing sheep farmers, livestock auctioneers and meat processors delivered when they met Secretary of State Hilary Benn this week. Representatives from the NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland, National Sheep Association, Livestock Auctioneers Association, British Meat Processors Association and Association of Independent Meat Suppliers attended the talks.

They told Mr Benn that the implementation of the EU regulation – due on December 31, 2009 – would have a significant impact on the structure of the UK sheep industry.

It was also stressed that the current system of identification and batch recording of sheep movements, together with movement standstills, delivered a simple, efficient and cost effective system to control the spread of disease.

In a joint statement they said: “We told Mr Benn that the regulation as it is written will drive sheep producers out of the sector because of the high costs of implementation, practical problems arising from the use of EID equipment and the difficulties associated with recording the individual identities of the UK sheep flock.”

They want EID and individual recording to be made a voluntary, rather than compulsory, requirement for animals not involved in intra-community trade.