[yankieGirl]

Why do you have so many regs over there?

Is it due to the geographics of a small island?  Disease spreads quickly and before long it's everywhere?

I am not trying to be snarky...just wondering.

[deepinthewoods]

yes. yes. and stealth taxes.

[jaykay]

That, YankeeGirl, is a question the rest of us have been pondering for years  

You might have a point about disease spreading quickly. But also we have a type of civil servant who just loves rules and obscure regulations. Maybe they're an abberation from our scholastic tradition? Anywhere else they'd have been left to starve or shot!

[robert waddell]

it is just the way the EU works         2 people sit down and discuss something you have 2 opinions               20+ people sit down and discuss the same subject you have 20+ inputs and all want there contribution to the subject        in America if you get food poisoning you sue the one responsible      in Britain there is an army of people to prevent you getting food poisoning and regulations that must be adhered to

[yankieGirl]

Do the regulators seek you out?  Could a person just defy the regs?  Are the penalties stiff?

I take perverse satisfaction in sticking it to the "man"....  ie....the thrill of making moonshine in the garage!

[yankieGirl]

I understand regs on large scale operations.

I don't understand regs for the hobby farmer that gives her eggs away to family and friends and sells the pigs to a few neighbors.  Yes, one person sick is not good...but there is such a thing as "buyer beware" when you are dealing with a limited # of people and they can come to your barn and see the conditions.

Just blabbing on in print...I'm not trying to start a war between the regulation adhereants and the folks just soldier ing on.

[HappyHippy]

I think anyone who wants to defy the regulations could do so  
I'm a real rebel too (tell me not to do something and just watch me go  )
BUT although they may seem daft, too much hassle, too expensive to stick to, a pointless waste of time just to keep folks in government jobs (in some, but not all cases)   they are there for a reason. To keep us free from disease outbreaks (UK has big import/export markets that would be financially damaged by this) and to protect the public who buy and eat the pork produced.
In terms of penalties - I'm sure they could slap a major fine, a ban from keeping animals and I suppose they could (in theory) throw you in jail, but for me sticking to the regulations and best practice guidelines lets me get the absolute best from my pigs and minimises the chances of me being responsible for the next disease outbreak. I wouldn't want that to be my fault.  
Karen x

[robert waddell]

that is another aspect to Britain in France the farmers stick together and sod the authorities     in Britain the opposite is true everybody does there own thing                now moonshine i could go that(the last American hero)

[Barrett]

There are to many, I thought we were out the other side of Foot and Mouth and farmers trying to get some sort of respect back but the goverment seems addiment to hold everyone back, we import far to much which will breed disease as we type this, Lamb at present seem to hold a good value only because poor New Zealand has had so many bush fires, our lamb is georgious we as a small Ireland need to support our farmers not slap them with so many rules and paper work at one point I had pigs, sheep and cattle and the paper work was just silly.  Sorry but I feel very strongly about this.

[SallyintNorth]

In terms of penalties - I'm sure they could slap a major fine, a ban from keeping animals and I suppose they could (in theory) throw you in jail, but for me sticking to the regulations and best practice guidelines lets me get the absolute best from my pigs and minimises the chances of me being responsible for the next disease outbreak. I wouldn't want that to be my fault.  

I think it is the case that subsidy payments could be withheld or stopped for serious breaches.  This is a pretty big stick to a farmer. 

It's kind of got to the point where farmers only go along with the increasingly burdonsome, irksome and usually frankly utterly pointless (since it never ever actually addresses the original problem - and of course is never ever deregulated even when the original problem is no longer relevant) regulations because otherwise the subsidy payments could be stopped.  For sure none of us would be electronically tagging our sheep if it weren't for that.

[Sylvia]

If the government would just call a halt on the imports of "cheap" overseas meat, eggs, milk etc. I don't suppose these regs. would be needed. (but what do I know )

[shetlandpaul]

after seeing a program about what you americans feed your pigs i suggest you look at your system before commenting on ours.

[Berkshire Boy]

I agree with shetland paul, if it wasn't for all the rules and regulations we wouldn't have the safest meat in the world. You can't get away from the fact that our animals are reared and slaughtered in the best conditions possible and it's something we should be proud of. Yes the Brits love nothing more than rules and regs but if the end product is worth it surely that is good.

[yankieGirl]

 

I understand regs on large scale operations.

I don't understand regs for the hobby farmer that gives her eggs away to family and friends and sells the pigs to a few neighbors.  Yes, one person sick is not good...but there is such a thing as "buyer beware" when you are dealing with a limited # of people and they can come to your barn and see the conditions.
Just blabbing on in print...I'm not trying to start a war between the regulation adhereants and the folks just soldier ing on.

shetlandpaul:  As noted above, I am specifically asking about regs for folks with backyard or hobby farms.  You don't need to school me on the conditions of our meat producing factories.  I'm already very much aware of the conditions.

[robert waddell]

the same regs apply to both       although some backyard setups are not on the radar
to an outsider the rules seem very strict         once you are involved with them (the regs) it is just a mater of course or good practise     in the same way seat belts are law and helmets on bikes are in your best interest
it also gives satisfaction when jobsworth comes to visit and you have no advisories or recommendations to carry out