Records warning to beef farmers
24 November 1999
Records warning to beef farmers
SCOTTISH beef producers failing to keep accurate farm records could jeopardise subsidies running into millions of pounds under new EU rules coming into force.
John Cameron, chairman of the Scottish Beef Council, warned farmers at a Perth meeting
He said they would have to become more involved in areas such as traceability, welfare and transport rules if they wished to benefit under the Agenda 2000 reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Jim Seaton of the Scottish Agricultural College said farmers hoping to get EU grants on livestock units per hectare would depend on their ability to utilise computer-based information on stocking rates.
He pointed out this could be a problem because few farmers were familiar with information technology.
Seaton said good records had always important for farmers but now their use is “worth millions of pounds to Scottish farmers, and mistakes will be expensive”.