Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Hi!

I know Mona has mentioned this already and you're busy at this time of year but I think you should take a look at this – http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/agriculture/adcp-01.asp

In fact I think every farmer in Scotland should be made aware of it and its contents and then perhaps they would tell the executive that Scottish farmers don't want their Govt to have these draconian powers which are already law in England.

Briefly, it shows they intend to adopt the amendments to the Animal Health Act in Scotland, giving Govt the power to seize and slaughter stock without farmers having the recourse to defend their animals through the Courts. In other words it makes 'legal' what was done illegally during the FMD crisis.

No doubt you will remember that during 2001, the animals on 10,509 farms were slaughtered although on only 1,324 (12.6%) premises, the animals either had FMD, or were recovered from it.

It is also worth remembering that the animals on those farms that were successfully defended by their owners, either by appeal or through the courts, remained alive and healthy and none succumbed to the disease.

References to the above figures can be found on -http://www.farmtalking.org

I am sure there are a few other measures that you may not agree with, contained in this consultation document too.

We have until the 23rd May to let the executive know that farmers and many of the general public, (if only they knew!) don't want these amendments to become law in Scotland.

So...if you are one of them, please let the Executive know!

Best wishes,

Jane – Farmtalking