Farmers united in anger at Brussels diktats

Published on Tuesday 1 July 2008 22:05

FARMERS are increasingly gaining the perception that Brussels appears intent on regulating them out of business with new strictures piled on the industry at an alarming rate.

It seems probable that the range of chemicals that arable farmers will be permitted to use on their crops will soon be drastically reduced. In the UK one of the major concerns relates to the proposals that will force sheep producers to have individual electronic identification (EID) for each and every one of the 34 million sheep on the hills, uplands and lowlands, as from late next year.

Late on Monday, an industry-wide delegation met Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food Rural Affairs (Defra) in London to express their extreme reservations. The point was made that the UK currently has almost one-third of the EU's flock which, according to the December 2007 census, numbered 96 million animals.

Benn was told in no uncertain terms that the current batch recording system as operated in the UK was more than adequate in terms of keeping a sound check on all movements. It was further argued that the introduction of EID – at some considerable cost – would result in a massive reduction in sheep numbers.

Sheep are viewed as being integral to maintaining the rural landscape and that any further reduction in numbers would see large areas in the hills and uplands quickly revert to little more than scrub with serious consequences for biodiversity.

In a joint statement, the delegation, which included all the major farming organisations, auctioneers and representatives from the meat trade, said: "We told Benn that the regulation as it is written will drive sheep producers out of the sector because of the high costs of implementation in relation to sheep farmers' incomes, practical problems arising from the use of EID equipment on farms, in markets and abattoirs as well as the difficulties associated with recording the individual identities of the UK sheep flock."

Various commercial companies have already invested considerable sums of money in developing EID systems, most of which have been impressive under controlled situations. However, the industry view is that while EID might work in lowland situations, it is simply not an option for hill farmers where stocking rates are frequently measured in terms of acres per sheep and not sheep per acre.

James Withers, the chief executive of NFU Scotland, said: "The secretary of state is well aware of our level of concern. I stressed that the Scottish Government pilot of EID taking place this year will be an extremely helpful tool in making an assessment under field conditions. It is important that we take the findings of this trial to Brussels.

"However, beyond the issue of cost, we believe that individual recording is simply impossible in the Scottish and UK context. We are unique in Europe in the scale of our sheep industry and, more importantly, its structure. Our climate and topography means that we have large seasonal flows of sheep and the current EU plans for the end of 2009 could bring this entire industry to a standstill."

The UK suffered the world's largest epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 followed by a much smaller outbreak last autumn. One of the key recommendations of the subsequent inquiries, including one undertaken for the Scottish Government by Professor Jim Scudamore and published last week, was an enhanced degree of animal traceability. It is not inconceivable that Brussels will pick up on this topic in its push for individual sheep identification.

Another problem facing the hill and upland farming fraternity are suggestions from Brussels that there is a need to have a close look at the "less favoured areas", which, in the Scottish context, qualify for annual payments of 61 million through the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme.

Industry leaders are concerned that the "Mediterranean biophysical criteria" currently in vogue with Eurocrats are simply not applicable under Scottish conditions. Scotland experiences a combination of soil and climatic factors which limit productive capacity, rather than extremes of heat and drought. This should be accommodated in any future EU designations. The general view throughout the UK is that there should be no change.

Jonnie Hall, the head of rural policy with NFUS, said: "Extensive farming in many remote and upland areas supports a host of economic, environmental and social aspects of rural Scotland. Farming and crofting in such locations remains marginal in every sense, but delivers enormous public good."