October 11, 2006

UK poultry farmers call for three-year waiver on tax charges

UK's poultry industry is coming out in-force to lobby their ministers of parliament to get a three-year waiver on costs for the new Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regulations.

The NFU, the British Poultry Council and the British Egg Industry Council have called for permit charges and the annual substance fee to be waived for three years to help farmers recoup losses caused by low consumption during the bird flu scare earlier this year. 

The government, which refused to apply for financial assistance, has left the industry incapable of paying the IPPC charges, NFU poultry board chairman Charles Bourns said.

While the UK government refused to claim support for its own poultry farmers, what infuriated farmers more was that it supported compensation for poultry farmers in 14 other member states, most of them competitors.

The 3-year waiver is a paltry sum in view of the government's repeated declarations of support for the UK's farming businesses, Bourns said, adding that so far the poultry industry has been cooperative towards the various government regulations on the industry.

Although the damage wrought by bird flu was beyond the auspices of the government the withdrawal of fees certainly was, Bourns continued.