MEPs urged to support beef passport bid

Two of Scotland's MEPs will be invited next week to join a campaign to reduce the amount of paperwork required of cattle farmers.

The Scottish Beef Cattle Association hopes to enlist the support of the two Scottish members of the European Parliament's agricultural committee, George Lyon and Alyn Smith, to back their view that paper cattle passports should be consigned to history.

"The time is right for Scotland to be recognised as the leader in the electronic identification of cattle allowing paper passports to become a thing of the past," was how SBCA president John Cameron saw the initiative, explaining that VHF frequency tags offered a realistic alternative to paper passports, making life easier not only for beef farmers but also for auction marts and meat plants.

"The time is right to press the commission to investigate the considerable opportunity for the Scottish beef industry on this," he said.

Cameron said the SBCA had invited both Lyon and Smith to their stand at the Highland Show to help the campaign.