Sheep tags will cripple farmers

A farmer in Tynedale has claimed that large sheep farmers in the district will be crippled by the costs of electronic sheep tagging (EID).

Nicholas Howard, of High Studdon, Allendale, said that most farmers cannot afford the cost of the regulation, which could cost the industry £30 million per year.

Mr Howard, who farms around 700 sheep, said that it was farmers with similarly sized land as him-self who will be worse off if EID is implemented in the UK.