Fears are emerging that farmers may face delays in acquiring cattle tags this autumn. This will put farmers in breach of EU cattle identification rules and at risk of penalty, as well as endangering the hard-won reputation of Ireland’s beef on export markets. The Department of Agriculture is preparing an application process under which any tag company can seek approval to sell tags to farmers. It aims to have the new system operating by 1 November, just weeks away. That is when farmers begin ordering tags for next spring’s calves and also when the current tag supply contract expires.
Fears are emerging that farmers may face delays in acquiring cattle tags this autumn. This will put farmers in breach of EU cattle identification rules and at risk of penalty, as well as endangering the hard-won reputation of Ireland’s beef on export markets.
The Department of Agriculture is preparing an application process under which any tag company can seek approval to sell tags to farmers. It aims to have the new system operating by 1 November, just weeks away. That is when farmers begin ordering tags for next spring’s calves and also when the current tag supply contract expires.
The change comes after the Department abandoned the competitive tender, single-supplier system, which gave it full control over cattle identification and froze the price farmers pay for tags over the years of each contract.
“The IFA is very concerned that farmers could be left waiting for tags until late 2016 or early 2017,” IFA animal health chair Bert Stewart said in a letter to the Department. “That could seriously undermine the current robust tagging and identification system.”
Further ahead, the Department must penalise any approved supplier failing to deliver tags and services on time. “Replacement tags must be supplied within 24 hours of a request from the keeper and not three days, as specified by the Department.”
He said the Department must guarantee that supply companies cannot cherry pick the market by targeting larger herds and charging more to smaller herd owners. The process must prioritise quality and security of the tags and stipulate tags with a loss rate of less than 3%, he said.
Listen to a discussion of the new cattle tag supply system with IFA director of livestock Kevin Kinsella in our podcast below:
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