Cattle keepers will soon be able to choose electronic ear tags alongside conventional identification methods
Northern Ireland cattle keepers will be able to use electronic ear tags for newborn calves from 7 September, making it the first UK region to offer bovine EID.
Use will initially be voluntary, allowing farmers to adopt the technology without any immediate requirement to replace conventional tagging.
DAERA said an approved electronic identification tag can be used in place of one of the conventional tags for newborn cattle.
Each EID tag contains a microchip programmed with the animal’s unique identification number, which can be read electronically using compatible equipment such as a tag reader.
The department said the technology could speed up cattle movement recording, reduce transcription errors and improve efficiency on farms, at livestock markets and in processing sites.
It could also reduce the need to read tags manually, helping make cattle handling safer.
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said: “It will give herd keepers the choice to adopt this technology where it works for their business, while supporting more accurate, efficient and safer recording of cattle movements.”
He said Northern Ireland would be the first region in the UK to make bovine EID available, while keeping adoption optional at this stage.
The voluntary introduction does not rule out compulsory cattle EID in future.
DAERA has already consulted on mandatory bovine EID and is considering the responses before deciding whether to bring forward further proposals.
Approved EID tags will have a white front leaf so electronically tagged cattle can be identified quickly.
The rear leaf may be white or yellow, while button tags, where used, will be fully white.
The animal’s identification number will still be printed on the tag, meaning it can continue to be read visually as well as electronically.
Electronic identification is already widely used in Northern Ireland’s sheep sector and has been compulsory for sheep since 31 December 2009.
The cattle EID launch also comes alongside the new Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme, which is due to begin in September for breeding animals.
That scheme will require an additional genotyping tag, with some farmers able to choose a version that also incorporates EID technology.
However, that option will only be available for animals already identified with XI 0-prefixed tags, because the older UK 9 numbering system is not compatible with EID.
From 7 September, herd keepers who want to use the technology will be able to choose approved EID tags for newborn cattle while conventional tagging remains available.