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A North West MEP has
called for the postponement of electronic sheep
tagging saying farmers can't absorb the cost in the
current economic climate.
Marian Harkin MEP said the EU's programme for the
electronic identification of sheep should be
postponed until 2012 "at the earliest" because of
current difficulties in the sector.
Ms. Harkin spoke in favour of supports for the sheep
sector last week in the EU Parliament. “I support
this measure which asks the Commission and the
Council of Agriculture Ministers to introduce
community financing for the system of electronic
tagging.
"Sheep farmers who are already in crisis cannot
afford to have further expense and cost foisted upon
them. Indeed, I would have preferred to see the
electronic identification system deferred until 2012
at the earliest but if it is to be introduced before
that, compulsory tagging of sheep should be funded
by the EU as producers should not be asked to have
further expense imposed on a sector already in
crisis," she said. |
