ISLAND FARMERS LEARN OF NEW RULES FOR ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION FOR SHEEP

The NFU will outline the implications of new European rules for the electronic identification (EID) of sheep to Island farmers later this month.

NFU South East livestock adviser James Mulleneux will address a meeting for sheep farmers on January 27 from 7.30pm at The Chequers Inn, Rookley. He will explain how the NFU fought to mitigate the impact of the new European Union regulation which came into force on December 31, 2009. Now the legislation is in force, it is illegal for farmers to fail to comply. The new system aims to improve the identification and tracing of sheep across all European member states. Mr Mulleneux explains: “The NFU fought this legislation tooth and nail in Europe. Thankfully we did manage to win some amendments to the proposed regime in some circumstances which I shall explain at this meeting. Unfortunately our industry must now comply with the new EID rules or farmers could face financial penalties if their sheep identification methods are not up to scratch when on farm inspections take place. There are costs linked to the new system, but there are also certain advantages for farmers, such as improved flock management and good traceability which is important when marketing meat locally.” Farmers who would like more details can contact the Isle of Wight NFU office: 01983 522290.

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