Farm regulations to be simplified

The Government is proposing to make farm inspections better targeted, so that farmers who consistently demonstrate high standards will be inspected less.

In efforts to reduce the burden of regulation, ministers are also proposing to introduce a new IT system for all funding under the Common Agricultural Policy in England by 2015.

They are also looking at how to make it easier to move livestock by having the same requirements for all livestock, so that people who farm more than one type will be able to follow a single set of rules.

In addition, an electronic system of reporting movements for sheep and goats should be in place by the end of 2014 – there’s already a similar system in place for monitoring the movement of pigs.