Rishi Sunak MP has welcomed changes to the rules governing the movement of farm livestock.
Last week Farming Minister George Eustice announced that the regulations which govern when farmers can move their stock would be simplified and made less bureaucractic.
Under the existing animal movement regime, many farmers must report livestock movements to any other land they own or rent beyond a five-mile radius of their home farm. The reporting automatically triggers a six-day lockdown – or ‘standstill’ – on the farm during which no animals can be moved.
The new scheme, to be phased in over 12 months, will replace this complicated bureaucracy and all farmers will be able to move their animals around any land they have registered and are using within a 10-mile radius without the need for reporting, or standstills.
Reporting and standstill requirements for livestock movements to other farms or businesses will continue to apply.
A new system for registering land on which livestock are kept will be run jointly by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and will also improve information about animal movements and land being used for livestock production, important for helping prevent and control diseases.
Mr Sunak, who has pressed ministers for changes to the rules since he was elected a year ago, said: “Before I was elected and since, the bureaucratic nightmare that is the animal livestock movement system has been highlighted by farmers in my constituency.
“These changes will come into force in July and immediately reduce the burden on farmers,” he added.
Mr Sunak said the move was part of the Government’s push to boost UK food and farming’s productivity by cutting unnecessary red tape and the time farmers spend on excessive form filling.
He added that the changes would also maintain vigilence over disease control – the original reason why the animal movement regulations were introduced.