The campaign to stop the introduction of new organic stocking densities has gone directly to the Government.
As reported in the Ranger last month protests have been growing over the decision to cut stocking rates and flock sizes in the UK five years ahead of many other European countries.
But the new organic advisory body ACOS has refused to back the campaign. At its latest meeting it recommended that the new rules should come into force, as planned, on August 1 2005. As a result the egg industry has now made a direct approach to farming minister Ben Bradshaw.
The new rates (internal rate down from 9 birds per square metre to 6 and flock size reduced from 12,000 to 3,000) must be in force across Europe by 2010. But the British government decided to opt into the new system five years early. The decision was announced, after consultation with the organic bodies, four years ago.
Since when all new entrants to organic production have operated under the new restrictions and it is estimated that almost a third of all organic eggs now come from birds housed at the new rates.
The 6 birds per metre producers, who have been suffering a major cost disadvantage, are furious that the two tier system could now be extended.
But that has not prevented the British Egg Industry Council stepping into the controversy with a letter to Mr Bradshaw pressing him to scrap the 2005 deadline.
In the letter chief executive Mark Williams says that the early introduction of the new rules contradicts the Government’s commitment not to gold-plate EU legislation. And also means “there will be severe effects on the UK egg industry’s ability to continue to supply organic eggs to the marketplace unless we are able to operate at the same pace as other EU member states.”
Mr Williams goes on “Many of those producers who will not comply by 2005 may cease organic production and revert to free range while others will be obliged to spend significant capital sums to comply or will have units that will become uncompetitive due to reductions in bird numbers in houses of high capital cost.
“The loss of a significant proportion of UK organic egg production will inevitably suck in imports from other Members States from units which will continue to enjoy the derogation until 2010. This is in conflict with the Government’s declared intention to reduce the UK’s reliance on the import of organic foodstuffs.”
Mr Williams tells the Minister that there is already an example of temporary two-tier production standards in operation in the UK with new free range units having to stock at 9 birds per square metre while derogated units can remain at 11 birds until 2012.
It is understood that ACOS rejected the proposal to overturn the 2005 deadline because of the large number of producers already operating on the lower rates.
Defra certainly believes that ample opportunity was given for protests when the original decision was made. A Defra official told the Ranger “The final decision on this now rests with the Minister”.