On-farm feed mixer costs – another year
On-farm feed mixer costs – another year
THE government has agreed to shoulder the burden for a year of additional costs being imposed on producers who use on-farm feed mixers.
In order to meet the requirements of an EU directive on veterinary products that can be mixed into feed the Veterinary Medicines Directorate had been forced to make proposals to increase farm inspections
But the government has agreed farmers inspection charges will remain at 1998/99 levels with the government funding extra inspections until April 2001.
The NFU had argued that additional inspections were designed to provide extra safeguards for public health and should therefore be met through public funds, welcomed the move.
NFU feed working group chairman Mike Blanchard said: "This is good news for many farmers and small-scale enterprises."
Discussions for an alternative charging system will begin at the end of the financial year.