Changes to cattle movement certificates have added another layer of paperwork for farmers, Senator Paul Daly told the Seanad last week.

Senator Daly explained how the Department of Agriculture, has changed the regulations so that when a farmer applies for a certificate of compliance to move cattle, they must now put the herd number of the herd of destination on the application for the certificate of compliance.

This is ‘impossible to know in certain situations’ according to Daly. The new rule is likely to have an impact on dairy farmers selling large numbers of calves in the spring.

Tie the farmers' hands that little bit tighter behind their backs

Previously, when a farmer registered calves they knew would be sold within a fortnight, they could apply for a certificate of compliance that was more open-ended. They could maybe have ‘two or three different suppliers and then not know which calf will end up with what customer’, Senator Daly stated.

Agfood.ie message for farmers applying for movement certificates

A message on Agfood.ie notifying farmers of recent changes to movement certificates.

Senator Daly stressed that every change made should make things simpler, reducing the ‘burden of paperwork, red tape, and bureaucracy for farmers’.

He continued to say, however, that this change makes things more complicated. Daly concluded by saying that he’d like the Leader to ‘put that on the list for discussion the next time the Minister is in for statements’.

The senator notes that compliance and traceability for animal health and welfare issues are important but believes that this ‘makes no sense’.

"It seems like a change because somebody somewhere has seen some small issue and changed the whole system, which will affect everybody across the board and will complicate the issue, slow it down and tie the farmers' hands that little bit tighter behind their backs."

Read more

Just 4% of closed rural garda stations to reopen

Dumping of tyres causes trouble in Northern Ireland