CARMICHAEL – DELAY TO SHEEP TAGGING RULE CHANGES WELCOME NEWS FOR LOCAL FARMERS  

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael today welcomed news that UK ministers have been successful in delaying the implementation of new EU sheep movement recording rules that could have cost farmers and crofters an estimated £11.5 million.The decision from the EU Commission came just days before a new requirement to record the movements of individual animals born before December 31 2009 was due to come into force. Agriculture Minister Jim Paice MP confirmed this week that UK farmers would now have until 2014 to prepare for the change. Commenting, Mr Carmichael said:‘Since the new electronic tagging rules were first announced it was clear that they had the potential to cause serious problems for farmers and crofters in the Isles. The new requirement for individual movement records for sheep born before electronic tagging was introduced would have cost the industry millions of pounds...