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Farmers have started ordering cattle tags under the new arrangements introduced by the Department of Agriculture. As of Wednesday, only Mullinahone Co-op’s Eurotags had obtained approval from the Department to sell tags to farmers.
The two other applicants – one of whom is Cormac Tagging – were still hoping for approval. An internal evaluation committee within the Department of Agriculture has met on these applications but not yet reached a decision.
Eurotags has raised the price of its standard tag set of one conventional and one tissue sample tag by 20c to €2.90. This price includes VAT and the ICBF contribution. However, a change to the company’s new order form allows farmers to order tags without making the ICBF contribution at a price of €2.52 including VAT.
If farmers choose not to pay the higher price, it could pose a significant threat to the €850,000 in funding the ICBF gets from the contribution.
The new order form has been drawn up to Department of Agriculture requirements.
Meanwhile, Mullinahone has left the price of its replacement tags unchanged at €2.34 including VAT for a single conventional tag and €3.20 for a pair of replacement conventional tags.
In previous years, Mullinahone sent order forms to cattle farmers to remind them to order tags. However, under the new regime, approved supply companies cannot contact herdowners directly. Instead, all tag supply companies are now preparing to advertise in the media. In addition, they will be required by the Department to allow farmers purchase tags online.
On Wednesday, Mullinahone reported that orders from farmers appeared to be slower than in recent years.
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