1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
Farmers plan hold-ups over 20-day rule
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Farmers are planning to block motorways and use go-slow convoys in a protest about the government's refusal to remove a 20-day movement ban on livestock. The protest is planned for next Monday (12 August).
The standstill rule, introduced during the foot and mouth crisis, bans producers from moving stock for 20 days after bringing an animal onto their farm.
Farmers are desperate for the ban to be lifted before crucial autumn sheep sales start, but officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have confirmed that it is likely to remain in place until at least the end of this year.
A spokesman for the group organising the protest says the action is being taken through desperation. "The 20-day standstill, which confers only marginal bio-security benefit, is totally unacceptable for those within the extensive livestock sector" • Farmers are also said to be planning a one-day strike on 23 August in an attempt to highlight the state of the food industry. During the strike. organised by Farmers for Action, farmers will be asked to withhold their produce for 24 hours.