Sheep farmers’ warning for Benn

Farmers have warned UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn that Electronic Identification and individual movement recording of sheep will drive farmers out of the industry.

A delegation of sheep farmers, livestock auctioneers and meat processors told the Minister last week of their fears over changes to the way sheep and goats are recorded that come into effect on December 31, next year.

Representatives from NFU, the National Sheep Association, Livestock Auctioneers Association, British Meat Processors Association and Association of Independent Meat Suppliers said the current system of recording sheep and their movements, delivers a simple, efficient and cost effective system to control the spread of animal disease.

"We told Mr Benn that the regulation as it is written will drive sheep producers out of the sector," said NFU Cymru vice-president Ed Bailey.

The threat arises from the high costs of implementing the new rules, practical problems with using of Electronic Identification – EID – equipment on farms, in markets and at abattoirs, and the difficulty of recording individual identities.

"We need a practical and workable solution for the UK sheep industry and urged Mr Benn to lobby forcefully for the EU regulation to be amended to make EID and individual recording a voluntary, rather than compulsory, requirement for animals that are not involved in internal community trade," said Mr Bailey.