DARD announces sheep EID funds
Editorial Department • Published 21 Jan 2010 09:00
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Marts, slaughtering facilities and collection centres for lambs are to be funded to carry out the reading of sheep EID tags as well as the complete movement documentation on behalf of flockowners, the Agriculture Minister, Michelle Gildernew has announced this week.
Announcing the funding, the Minister said: "I have pledged all along to do my best to secure a measure of financial assistance to help the industry with the transition to Sheep EID, and can confirm today that £250,000 will be made available from DARD.
"If markets, abattoirs, and others, perform the function of reading tags, and printing of movement schedules, this will greatly help keepers as they will not have to buy or use EID readers for movements to these premises."
The Minister continued: "For movements to approved premises the keeper will not need to list the tag numbers on the movement document. Any market, abattoir or other premises, that wishes to read tags on behalf of keepers must be approved by DARD and comply with certain conditions of operation. They will be known as a "Central Point of Recording" or CPR.
"Finally, I want to reassure flock-keepers here that I am doing everything in my power to secure funding to enable them to purchase EID tags in the future. I have asked my officials to progress this as a matter of urgency," she said.
The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) Order (NI) 2009 came into operation on 31 December 2009. The main components of the system are:
• All lambs born or first tagged after December 31 2009 must be identified with two identifiers bearing the same number, one of which must carry an EID device.
• Animals born during 2010 do not have to be tagged until they are nine months old or are being moved off the holding, whichever is the earlier. The new yellow EID tags will therefore not be needed for them until this point.
• Existing green tags can no longer be applied.
• Sheep born before December 31 2009 can be moved before June 1 2010 if they have at least one green tag in place, without the need to upgrade to EID.
• Animals presently on farm will have to be upgraded to EID from June 1 2010, but only when they move off the holding.
• As green movement tags can no longer be applied, tag numbers do not have to be recorded on movement documents until animals are identified with the new tags.
• Our current export rules will continue until May 31 2010 for animals born before the end of 2009 and the use of blue export tags will be allowed.
• Goat keepers will have to comply with the same recording requirements as sheep keepers but they can apply two matching conventional tags.
A guidance booklet will be issued to all keepers shortly together with flock/herd registers and movement document books.
Sheep and goat keepers are reminded that they must return their Annual Inventory card to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 21 Jan 10
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