State cash for feed-mixer checks

11 May 2000



State cash for feed-mixer checks

THE government has agreed to shoulder the burden for a year of additional costs being imposed on producers who use on-farm feed mixers.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate had been forced to propose increased farm inspections, to come into line with European rules.

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 be met through public funds.

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.