German cattle passports cost less
30 July 1999
German cattle passports cost less
By FWi staff
BRITISH farmers are being asked to pay more than three times as much for their cattle passports than farmers in France and – nearly five times as much as German farmers.
The revelation, in a parliamentary answer from junior agriculture minister Jeff Rooker, comes after the government said British passport would cost £7 each.
Mr Rooker has listed charges in other member states which range from nothing in Luxembourg to a £2.50 fee for tagging and registration in Finland.
Producers in France pay £2.30 an animal and in Germany £1.60 – although in Germany some additional costs are recovered from levies paid by farmers.
Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union of Scotland has called for an urgent meeting with Scottish rural affairs minister Ross Finnie.
The farmers representatives want to explain to Mr Finnie the deep resentment felt by their membership over the proposed charges.
“We have to bring home to the minister the strength of feeling within the industry about the proposed charge,” said union vice-president Peter Chapman.
Neither beef nor dairy farmers are in any position to shoulder such a cost.