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Do you want to see fair trade disappear from the sheep industry?

The Livestock Auctioneers Association has become very concerned over what seems to be a total lack of understanding by some officials and senior members in our industry, of the marketing systems presently used by our sheep farmers.  If it is not a lack of understanding then why are some in favor of a slaughter derogation that threatens the survival of the most basic tool of our marketing mechanism; competition?  

The LAA is totally opposed to any form of electronic individual identification (EID) for sheep and will continue to fight against the proposed legislation until the bitter end.  If the industry is forced into EID we believe that to accept this slaughter derogation would reduce free, open, and transparent trade to such a detrimental effect that it could jeopardize competition within our sheep industry, and should not be welcomed as being the “better than nothing” option. Our industry needs to fight for a workable solution rather than to accept one that threatens to destroy the entire marketing system as we know it.

This proposed slaughter derogation will restrict trade and competition for prime lamb vendors that choose to sell through livestock markets, store lamb vendors, lamb feeders, abattoir operators, and of course livestock market operators.

Why should we, the largest sheep producing country in Europe have to accept a totally unworkable slaughter derogation because it suites our European associates.  We, the UK should be in a very strong negotiating position instead we would appear to be weak and ineffective, simply accepting whatever is thrown at us regardless of the implications for our sheep industry.  Would our compatriots across the water simply lie down and accept this unworkable derogation if they were in our position; I don’t think so.  Is this what Defra and the NFU are suggesting we do?  

The LAA have tried, sometimes in vain, to explain how damaging the proposed slaughter derogation will be to the majority of our sheep producers, which has led our association to ask you, the UK sheep farmer to sign up in support of our fight against the slaughter derogation as is currently offered to us. 

We need to understand that if the slaughter derogation is accepted industry will be required to record every different flock number that is included within a consignment, every time they move.  We have asked, on many occasions how industry can possibly manually read and record individual flock numbers of thousands of sheep when presented within a consignment of animals that contains multiple different flock numbers (referred to within industry as “batch within batch”). To date the only comments received by the LAA have suggested that anyone involved in such movements of sheep, where there are multiple flock numbers within a batch, will have severe problems if the slaughter derogation is adopted.  The LAA do not accept that this is an acceptable position to put the UK sheep industry into.   

Within your local livestock markets, or on the LAA website (www.laa.co.uk) the Livestock Auctioneers Association will be running a petition against the proposed slaughter derogation that has been offered by the European Commission and which seems to be supported by Defra and the NFU when/if mandatory individual electric recording of sheep is implemented.  Please join the fight against this ridiculous derogation and add your support by signing up to our petition for your survival.

SIGN UP TO OUR PETITION NOW >>>