Picture: Farming minister Ben Bradshaw
Farming minister Ben Bradshaw has launched a new investigation into organic stocking rate changes which are at the centre of a major protest campaign.
The new consultation process is designed to help him make a final decision on whether to stage a U-turn on introducing new regulations. Industry bodies have objected to a timetable which will introduce the new EU rules into Britain in twelve months time—five years ahead of the rest of Europe.
The changes will reduce internal stocking rates from 9 birds per square metre to six and maximum flock size from 12,000 to 3,000. Protestors complain that the change amounts to gold-plating which will drive established producers out of the organic sector, lead to a slump in organic egg production and open the door to supplies from Europe to flood into our market.
But the changes were agreed four years ago and since then not only have new entrants to the industry had to operate on the lower rates but many established producers have invested tens of thousands of pounds in preparing to comply. At least a third of all organic production comes from hens stocked at 6 birds per square metre.
The new organic advisory body ACOS has already rejected the suggestion that the change should be delayed until 2010. Minutes of discussion reveal there was little support for changing the 2005 deadline. Even a compromise of delaying until 2007/8 was rejected. Members felt that producers had been given adequate notice of the timetable and that if it were extended those already operating to the new standards would be further disadvantaged.
The minutes of the meeting show that Jeffrey Vergerson, the organic producer who is also a member of ACOS, “requested it should be recorded that he was opposed to the decision”.
But the Minister has now contacted packers, industry bodies and some large scale producers to seek more information.
He is asking for more details on the costs to producers of reducing stocking rates. He also wants to know how many producers currently operating at nine birds per square metre intend to continue in the organic sector and whether, if large numbers switch to free range, the market will be able to accommodate them.
And he wants to hear from producers already complying with the lower stocking densities on what they consider the consequences to them and the market would be of making the changes in 2005 and of waiting until 2010.
In a letter to the British Egg Industry Council the Minister says: “Because of the implications of the advice we have received from ACOS we will wish to consider it more before taking a decision on whether to accept it.”
A clue to current Government thinking on the issue of gold-plating is to be found in the new Action Plan on developing organic food and farming in England. On standards it says: “Defra Ministers support high standards of organic production but it is important to ensure that UK farmers and growers are not disadvantaged in competition with organic producers in other Member States.”
