SHEEP

When I left school in 1965 I became an agricultural apprentice after 3 years I went to Hadlow Agricultural College for year passing all my relevant exams but I was not suited to be in the Farming World and became a Professional Judo Coach in 1971. Although I never carried on with farming I still have kept an interest in what is happening, my main interest as a student was Sheep and two things have come to my attention in the last week which ultimately could see the destruction of the production of sheep in GB:

1) The European Union want to have every sheep electronically tagged, so they can monitor them. Most probably from some satellite can you imagine the work this will put on the farmer and more importantly the cost on an industry which has very tight profit margins. Farmers will either stop rearing sheep or pass on the cost to the consumer so another price increase because of EU interference. How long before us Human Beings are tagged by the EU with the excuse it will prevent terrorism or a Pan epidemic?
2) This rumour I heard has not been confirmed but I was told at an Agricultural Fair that a well known superstore (Tesco) have told sheep farmers that they will not purchase sheep that have been rounded up by a sheep dog. Why? Because a Sheep dog stresses the sheep too much have you heard of anything so barmy if this is true will they stop buying sheep from other countries? NO


Martin Clarke Sittingbourne