United Kingdom-New EID rules will save farmers millions.

UNITED KINGDOM- BREAK THROUGH IN EID WILL SAVE MILLIONS.

Sheep going for slaughter before they are 12 months old will not have to be electronically tagged, DEFRA announced on Wednesday.

Minister Jane Kennedy (pictured) said the department had managed to negotiate an exemption from the EID rules which are due to come into force at the end of the year.

Like the industry itself, DEFRA remains convinced that the costs of the new rules still outweigh the benefits but Ms Kennedy said they had been pressing hard in Europe for changes that would help to reduce the burden on the sheep industry.

"We need to avoid the even higher costs of not complying with EU law and we’re working hard to ensure that the burden on farmers is as low as possible," she said.

DEFRA estimates the exemption could save the industry between £8 million and £11 million a year.

"We will continue to work with farmers to ensure that the costs of implementing the new system are as low as possible," said Ms Kennedy.

DEFRA has also pointed out it has already secured a number of other changes to the EID regulations which will considerably reduce the burden on farmers, including:

* no animals have to be recorded individually on a movement document until 1 January 2011

* no animals born before 31 January 2009 have to be recorded individually on a movement document until 31 December 2011

* no animals born before 31 December 2009 and moving to slaughter (directly or via a market) have to be recorded individually on a movement document at all.