I just don’t understand how DEFRA junior minister Lord Rooker can put his head in the sand over the 2012 cage ban.
It’s the pig sector all over again, with the government pushing ahead with welfare legislation regardless of whether other EU member states stick to the same timetable. And the result could be the wholesale export of the intensive egg sector.
We have also already seen it happen in Germany, who is phasing out conventional cages before other Member States. Producers simply moved production to neighbouring countries, mainly the Netherlands.
And it will happen in the UK if it unilaterally goes ahead with the ban in 2012.
DEFRA has to be realistic about the timetable of rehousing millions of birds in the UK. Whether switching to free range or enriched, it will require building new units just to maintain the UK flock size.
But this will take time. We are already seeing planning proposals being strongly fought by local residents and it can take up to 18 months or even longer just to gain approval.
On top of this, the equipment manufacturers don’t have the capacity to make and install the equipment in the remaining years.
DEFRA risks destroying an efficient, high welfare sector that has built its success without any need for government subsidies or other handouts.