Farmers' fear at new tagging rules

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By Sarah Mukherjee Environment correspondent, BBC News

One farmer says the electronic tags are costly

Sheep farmers say a new system of electronic tags for their animals, introduced by the EU, could spell the end for many farms in upland areas of Britain.

"Breathtaking" is a phrase that's often used when it comes to the British countryside but in this case it's very apt - not least because of the one-in-four hills you have to climb.

The view from the Crown pub at Middlesmoor in North Yorkshire is spectacular, the clouds scudding across the sky, casting shadows on the rolling green hills and dales.

This part of the world is tourist heaven and even this early in the season there are tourists in some of the dales' better-known market towns.

This has also been traditionally a farming area. But farmers are warning that new European regulations regarding tagging sheep flocks could mean many leave the industry altogether and the Spring lambs in the fields at this time of year will become increasingly rare.

'Onerous legislation'

From next year, sheep will have to have an electronic tag, which officials say will make it much easier to identify animals in the event of a disease outbreak.

But farmers say the current system of tagging works perfectly well, and the new rules will mean they will have to invest in expensive and confusing electronic equipment.

"Farmers will do one of three things," says Stephen Ramsden, a local farmer and landowner. "They'll either put up with the new rules, refuse to enforce them - or leave altogether."

But, bearing in mind the number of devastating animal diseases we have had over the past few years, isn't a tagging system absolutely vital?

"We already have a paper-based tagging system that works perfectly well," says David Pearson, another local farmer who's been involved in negotiations on the issue with government officials.

"This is one of the most onerous pieces of legislation to come out of Brussels I can remember and the authorities haven't given me a good reason why we need it."

Extra expense

The UK government has managed to delay the introduction of these new rules, but nevertheless they will start to bite next year.

Richard Isaac and his son Matthew have one of the farms to pilot the new tagging system.

"It's a nightmare," says Richard. "The tags cost 50p or 60p more than the ones we use at the moment, and the electronic machines you need to read the tags are not waterproof.

"I don't know how some of the older farmers are going to cope." His son Matthew deals with the technology, but even he struggles.

Farmers say it is mad that at a time that food security is a growing issue, home-grown lamb could be increasingly rare.