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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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Farmers need help not prosecution says Beith
March 31, 2010 12:00 AM
Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith has challenged the Government to support farmers who are experiencing difficulties with the EID scheme. Speaking in the House of Commons Sir Alan raised the enormous difficulties farmers have been experiencing with the electronic equipment used to read ear tags on sheep. He said
"Do Ministers realise the practical difficulties that sheep farmers face in implementing the ear tagging electronic reading scheme? Those difficulties have been added to by the abolition of the five-year rule, which means that farmers have to use the scheme even when moving sheep between their own nearby fields. Will he make sure that, at least in the first year, the authorities place the emphasis on helping, working with and supporting farmers, and not on rushing into prosecutions?"
The Minister agreed to help the farming industry deal with the new regulations.
Speaking after the exchange, Sir Alan said:
"This complex scheme is completely over the top and making life difficult for all sheep farmers. I am particularly anxious that which farmers are still trying to cope with the scheme, the authorities do not resort to prosecution for technical errors but help and support farmers with something they could well have done without."
Sir Alan has been contacted by farmers who have found the equipment used for reading the sheep's ear tags can be unreliable especially when used in wet weather.
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