‘Do you agree with the Scottish Government’s plans to implement sheep EID?’

AT LONG last the Scottish Government has come up with its framework on how Scotland is going to implement the new electronic sheep identification rules which came in to force on January 1, 2010.

As expected, cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead has opted for the electronic option for all Scottish born sheep, with those going direct to slaughter requiring an electronic tag only.

The National Sheep Association were the sole objectors to this requirement as they believed it would be easier to get the whole regulation abolished if there were still some chinks in the armour of the system. Whether that would be the case, we may now never know.

Now that our rural affairs department has stopped dithering on this crucial matter however, two major issues must be resolved to the satisfaction of Scottish flockmasters.

Firstly, it is not good enough for the cabinet secretary - and indeed some industry bodies - to pay lip service to the notion that sheep only require tagging when the first leave their holding of birth. This uis an absolute must and our politicians at home and in Brussels must insist that Sxcotland will accept nothing less. A united front by industry organisations is also a necessity. Politicians simply cannot be allowed to get off the hook onn this one.

Secondly, there is great scope within this regulation for a burgeoning of cross compliance visits. This must be resisted at all costs. An announcement by government that they will have no truck with any increased bureaucracy is an immediate necessity.