- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
For my sheep farmer friends who've just had the Annual Survey demand (online now) from DEFRA, I penned this in the comments section:
"Every year I comment on how aggressive and officiously this Annual Survey is written. Every year it gets worse. I PRESUME the Secretary of State actually reads these communications and therefore (she) tacitly approves?
If the Chancellor of the Exchequer can "sell" in the implications of tax expenditure categories, I think DEFRA officials should do a better job of explaining WHY this is a big must?
1. Is it an EU directive and you're plain scared stiff of national penalties for non-compliance (note we still do not have signed off accounts for the EU or know how many olive trees there are - and I am a believer in a modern Europe)
2. Is it a cross compliance check tool?
3. Do the statistics actually help you learn anything? From the scant information returned, I don't see how they can; except informing the slaughter sector of anticipated numbers of lambs forward next year
I am sure you may well have a good few non-cooperators for this annual survey but to write in such an officious manner doubtless really ticks the many good, honest folks off.
Why not publish a brief resume of findings and a thank you from the Minister as an on-line communication in the New Year. She has my email address and mobile 'phone number after all; can I have her's?
Kind regards
Jeremy Perkins"
"Every year I comment on how aggressive and officiously this Annual Survey is written. Every year it gets worse. I PRESUME the Secretary of State actually reads these communications and therefore (she) tacitly approves?
If the Chancellor of the Exchequer can "sell" in the implications of tax expenditure categories, I think DEFRA officials should do a better job of explaining WHY this is a big must?
1. Is it an EU directive and you're plain scared stiff of national penalties for non-compliance (note we still do not have signed off accounts for the EU or know how many olive trees there are - and I am a believer in a modern Europe)
2. Is it a cross compliance check tool?
3. Do the statistics actually help you learn anything? From the scant information returned, I don't see how they can; except informing the slaughter sector of anticipated numbers of lambs forward next year
I am sure you may well have a good few non-cooperators for this annual survey but to write in such an officious manner doubtless really ticks the many good, honest folks off.
Why not publish a brief resume of findings and a thank you from the Minister as an on-line communication in the New Year. She has my email address and mobile 'phone number after all; can I have her's?
Kind regards
Jeremy Perkins"