Geoffrey Cox MP for Torridge and West Devon is urging local farmers to have their say regarding the European government's proposed plans for sheep tagging.

If the plans were to go ahead in the UK, this would mean all sheep born after January 1, 2010 would have to be electronically tagged. This would entail recording all the individual identities of sheep in holding registers, and later from January 1, 2011 all sheep movements will then have to be individually recorded.

Mr Cox said: "The National Farmers Union are running a questionnaire campaign to survey farmers across the UK to see how the proposed introduction of electronic identification and individual recording will influence their intentions to continue keeping sheep. I urge all farmers who may be affected to take this opportunity to have their say."

He continued: "This is another absurd regulation which I have strongly resisted. It is a classic example of unnecessary and pointless regulation imposed on our farming communities. I have no doubt that if this proposal were to go through it would have a detrimental effect on sheep farming, which is not only something that affects farmers, but also the wider economy of the UK."