Farm minister Gerda Verburg is to increase checks on the live animal transport sector after several companies were found to have overloaded lorries and broken animal welfare rules.

ANP reports that the minister is to tear up the voluntary agreement with transporters under which they were exempted from spot checks in return for agreeing to meet guidelines.
‘Given the recent incidents, I realise that a number of animal transporters are not taking their duties seriously enough,’ Verburg said. ‘I therefore feel compelled to take steps across the entire sector.’