We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.UK sheep farmers unite with Europe to fight EID
UK farming organisations have united with their European counterparts to oppose costly new rules for the electronic identification and individual recording of all sheep across the EU.
Sheep breeding organisations from Spain, Portugal, France, Austria, Greece and Germany joined a UK delegation, which included the NFU, NFU Scotland and the National Sheep Association, at a meeting in Frankfurt, Germany last week.
Farmer opposition
They expressed their condemnation of the new rules and discussed a number of options including a petition to show the strength of farmer opposition and joint industry letters to all EU Agriculture Ministers.
Alistair Mackintosh, NFU livestock board chairman, said: “It’s important we work together to highlight the sheep industry’s opposition and other European countries lobby their governments to raise support for our stance at an EU level.
“We’re keeping the fight going and will do all we can in terms of looking for options to make this regulation fit for purpose. The impact of this regulation must be kept to an absolute minimum.”
A survey by NFUS found 73 per cent of Scottish producers would reduce their flocks with the onset of new rules and a third of those would quit altogether.
Nigel Miller, NFUS vice-president, who also attended the meet-ing in Frankfurt, said momentum was gathering to force Ministers to revisit the regulation.
Source:
Livestock News
