MLC hikes levies as crisis escalates

27 February 2001



MLC hikes levies as crisis escalates

by Alistair Driver

LIVESTOCK farmers have condemned a Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) decision to raise levy rates at the height of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

As the number of cases of the disease rose to 17 across Britain, the MLC announced that levies would rise by 6% on cattle and sheep from 16 April.

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) immediately condemned the decision as extremely insensitive, saying it was the last thing that producers needed.

“This is an extremely insensitive decision by the MLC which will go down like a lead balloon with farmers,” said FUW President Bob Parry.

“Farming is in the grip of a severe crisis thanks to foot and mouth disease.”

He added: “The last thing we expected was for the MLC to announce an increase in the levy it collects from every farmer in the land.”

The levy increases were agreed at a meeting of MLC officials last Thursday (22 February) – just two days after the start of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

An MLC spokesman said the timing was extremely unfortunate but statutory rules meant that levy changes had to be published once they were decided.

“The decision was made by the commission on 22 February before the scale of the current problem became apparent,” said the spokesman.

“It could be argued that once the current foot-and-mouth problem is over we need to promote ourselves more than ever.”