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‘Strike’ protest over sheep tagging system
TRADING Standards officers for at least two major livestock areas are refusing to help run the halfway-house system of computerised sheep movement recordings which Defra hoped to get off the ground while it tries to organise a national database for automatic tracking of all sheep individually.
The ‘strike’ in North Yorkshire and Devon is partly a protest at more work being piled on while funding is cut and partly a declaration of little faith in the system.
Defra is putting pressure on the authorities concerned and says their failure to assist would hamper investigation into an outbreak of disease.
But sheep business spokesmen say the paper trails which were followed during Foot & Mouth in 2001 still exist; it is Defra’s fault nothing better has replaced them; and some Trading Standards officers refusing to co-operate just leaves another hole in a system full of them.
An auctioneer told the Yorkshire Post: “We send a copy of our records to Trading Standards and it is up to them what happens next. But it has been clear that, even without any deliberate refusal to co-operate, they are commonly weeks behind.
“The whole thing is a shambles because Defra has left so many grey areas where things should be black and white.”
The Trading Standards Institute, which represents TS professionals, said: “Local authorities have suffered from a number of budget cuts.
“Data capture of movements is not a statutory duty and authorities have to consider what the priorities are in their area.
“The Trading Standards Institute expressed concern over the ability of England and Wales to cope with an outbreak of disease in the face of the budget cuts in February 2011. One year on our concerns remain.”
A senior Yorkshire trading standards officer said: “All local authorities have had to relook at their priorities and some have decided this data capture from EID tags is a priority but others have decided you can capture all you like but if you have no enforcement officers out in the field, what is the point?”
A Defra spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable that a small number of local authorities are not entering movement data. They place local livestock owners at increased risk in the event of a disease outbreak. We are looking to introduce e-reporting, which will make the system much more efficient. In the meantime, it is crucial that local authorities continue to capture this data and we have reminded them of their responsibilities.”
Hans Porksen, sheep farmer near Morpeth and chairman of the north east of England livestock board of the NFU, said: “The good news is that farmers’ records are better than they ever were, because everyone is paranoid about having their Single Farm Payment cut. But the rest of it is a real muddle.”
North Yorkshire County Council said it was “working with Defra to find an acceptable solution”. Devon County Council was offered the opportunity to comment but had not responded when this page went to press.
chris.benfield@ypn.co.uk
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