How Sheep Tag Changes On June 1 Affect You

The change to the existing National Sheep Identification System (NSIS) regulations came into effect on October 1, 2018.

Sheep 1

Now, the second phase of his process has come into effect.

From June 1, 2019, all sheep moving from any holding must be identified electronically.

This will affect stock as follows:

  Lambs aged under 12 months that are moving directly to a slaughter premises from the holding of their birth may be tagged, at a minimum, with a single yellow electronic identification (EID) tag inserted in the animal’s right ear.

  All sheep (other than lambs aged under 12 months that move directly to slaughter from the holding of their birth) must be identified with a full set of EID tags or an electronic bolus set.

As part of the changes to the NSIS system, flock owners have received new dispatch document books during May

These new dispatch documents must be used when moving sheep from your holding, from June 1, 2019.

Dispatch documents without bar-coded serial numbers will not be valid NSIS documentation, with effect from June 1, 2019, and must not be used on or after that date.

If you haven’t received these new documents, you can request them by contacting your regional Department of Agriculture office, or the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) division.

Sheep 2

(Source – Irish Examiner – Farming – 10/06/2019)

 

Electronic Sheep Tags Meet A Cold Reception

The extension of electronic identification (EID) to sheep by the Department of Agriculture has gone down “like a lead balloon” with farmers at the marts and factories, said IFA national sheep chairman Sean Dennehy.

Mr Dennehy said Minister Michael Creed’s decision to impose compulsory EID tagging on farmers at a high cost has been exposed badly this week, with most farmers still having to write dispatch dockets in the same way as before in order to go to marts and factories.

“Sheep farmers are very angry that they have been forced to pay for the EID tags and the minister has allowed the factories and marts off the hook. Farmers are now being forced to dump old tags in stock and the minister refuses to allow one EID tag for lambs going to the mart,” he said.

Sheep Crossing Road

Mr Dennehy said there was significant problems with the new system in some factories this week, with major delays to the kill which in turn impacted on farmers.

Meanwhile, to date, five sheep processing factories have indicated to the department that they will operate as Central Points of Recording (CPRs) for the new EID rules, which were extended to sheep on June 1. Most of the others have applied to department for approval.

(Source – Irish Examiner – Farming – Joe Dermody – 07/06/2019)

 

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