Farming Talk: Electronic tag system can be confusing

As chairman of the Welsh Livestock Auctioneers Association I attend Welsh Assembly Government meetings on sheep electronic ID (EID), the forthcoming database, together with many other subjects representing auctioneers from across Wales.

I also attend LAA council meetings so Wales, England and Scotland auction marts can discuss forthcoming issues and we get to see the broader picture for the UK.

You can imagine my disappointment when the Welsh Minister announced that Wales was going to have a separate database for collecting, storing and transferring EID information for farmers and markets. Working at a cross border market, I could see the problems. The only blessing is by sitting on the WAG livestock steering group I have an input into how the database should work.

Chris Dodds (LAA national secretary) sits on the English equivalent so from talking regularly we do our best and represent livestock markets and our clients needs as best we can.

As the subject came up in one of our recent McCartneys meetings, I decided to run through the present tagging requirements in England & Wales as I am sure for many of you, like me, it can get very confusing.

All sheep born after December 31, 2009, and not intended for slaughter under 12 months of age must be electronically identified. Lambs intended for slaughter under 12 months of age can be single tagged, with UK and a visible flock number only on the tag. This tag may be electronic if you feel your lambs within a green slaughter market may be sold for further finishing.

This is a highly discussed item at present with many store buyers in finished markets hoping that industry will lead us to one EID slaughter tag so they can manage their records and traceability of store sheep better. These buyers are very important to our industry as an influx of lambs enter the market in the late summer/ autumn periods. If the cost of one EID slaughter tag could be reduced this surely is the way forward.

It is advisable that all store lambs should be electronically identified for purchasers. Ewe lambs MUST have full EID – one yellow tag and one other colour tag with the individual number printed.

Cull/stock ewes can be sold with their original flock or replacement tag. This will change from 2014. Red tags must be used for replacement tags.

All lambs should be tagged within 9 months of birth or before they leave the holding, if sooner.

Remember you should record all movements of animals born from 2010 unless identified with a slaughter tag – all animals born before can be recorded as a batch movement?– in your holding register.

If you have any view points which I can take forward on this system, please let me know. More change is definitely on the horizon as we get nearer to full EID.

Jenny Layton Mills is based at the Knighton office of McCartneys LLP