Government
Although the British Government and, increasingly, the European Union are responsible for drafting laws related to the meat and livestock farming sectors it is an independent Government department, the Food Standards Agency, that has responsibility for public health awareness and consumer interests in relation to food. Farmers, along with the meat and poultry industries, complain that the industry is over-regulated and while there are moves to simplify ‘red tape’ there are still hundreds of Acts, and Orders covering the supply chain. Industry-designed and self-regulated Codes of Practice also govern virtually every industry sector.
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(02-07-2008)
Sheep farmers will be driven out of the industry if plans for electronic identification go ahead.
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(30-06-2008)
Defra confirmed at the weekend that the Protection Zone put in place as part of control measures for the H7N7 avian influenza outbreak in Oxfordshire would be lifted, as from Sunday, 29 June.
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(12-06-2008)
Defra has announced it is placing an order with Merial to deliver 13m doses of Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine, eight million for use in England and five million for use in Wales.
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(11-06-2008)
Meat wholesale leaders have warned the Scottish government that meat inspection costs could triple by 2011, placing all parts of the meat chain under severe pressure.
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(10-06-2008)
The Scottish government will fight “tooth and nail” against proposals to introduce electronic identification (EID) for sheep, a minister has pledged.
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(10-06-2008)
A Midlands butcher has been forced to close up by the official receiver, just days before he was due to receive a national award.
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(09-06-2008)
The recent outbreak of avian influenza (AI) remains contained, Defra reports.
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(22-05-2008)
Nigel Gibbens has been appointed the new chief veterinary officer (CVO) by Defra.
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(14-05-2008)
Farming leaders have reacted with fury to Chancellor Alistair Darling’s bid to reopen negotiations over reform of the CAP, branding his letter to his EU counterparts as “inept”.
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(12-05-2008)
The ban on feeding animal remains to pigs and poultry could be set to be relaxed, the European Commission has revealed.