Sunday 26 August 2012
Australia
Help for egg farmers
The Victorian Coalition Government is giving egg producers two extra years before they must comply with additional red tape being imposed by new national egg-stamping requirements.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the Coalition Government was helping Victorian farmers by giving them more time to plan for and install costly equipment that will be needed to apply an identification stamp to every single egg, as mandated under new national food standards.
Mr Walsh announced the protection as part of the Primary Industries and Food Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 introduced to the Victorian Parliament this week.
“Whole supply chain food safety traceability of eggs from the farm to the kitchen is already provided by labels on cartons,” Mr Walsh said.
“In the kitchen, a carton will provide greater trace-back than rummaging in the garbage sorting through cracked egg shells.
“This legislation provides for the implementation of the new national egg food safety standards in Victoria but there is a two-year exemption from the requirement for farmers to individually stamp their property identification details on each egg shell.
“Asking farmers to purchase new eggshell inking machines is a significant cost imposition with no proof it will improve food safety,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh said the new legislation would also:
•Require quicker notification of unusual deaths or disease of livestock;
•Provide for the impounding of livestock at risk of straying onto roads; and
•Require councils to provide the Department of Primary Industries with information relating to land within the shire relevant for effective emergency response planning.
Source: farmonline.com.au
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