Friday, 26th June 2009
We must continue our fight against plans to electronically identify sheep
Dear Sir,
Following the recent announcement that the European Commission is determined to push on with plans to electronically identify sheep, the NFU in Scotland has said it remains 100 per cent committed to fighting these proposals. And quite right too!
This impractical and massively expensive idea will severely cripple the Scottish sheep sector and drive hundreds of farmers off our hill and upland areas. Unlike other countries whose governments show more sympathy to their agricultural sector, UK Sheep farmers are unlikely to receive any funding from Gordon Brown's Government to help with the cost of electronic identification.
Furthermore there is no need for such measures to be introduced. No one would disagree we do need to be prepared for outbreaks of disease but the UK already has a failsafe batch system of sheep identification already in place which has been tried and tested during the most recent foot and mouth outbreak and found to be first class.
We need to support our farmers, not burden them with more expense and red-tape from Brussels. The NFU in Scotland has my full support.
Yours faithfully,
Struan Stevenson MEP
