Farmers purchasing cattle tags can avail of significant cost savings by pricing around and bulk-buying.
Prices for a new run of BVD and ID tags start at £4.90 and rise to £5.10, excluding VAT, based on a set including two large flag tags.
Prices for a BVD tag accompanied with a button tag are typically 20p to 30p cheaper for a complete set. Electronic Identification (EID) tags are selling for £6.50 per set.
Discounts of £20 to £25 are being offered on a minimum purchase of 50 tags, with a saving of £50 or more on orders of 100 tags.
However, some larger herd owners who order through a buying group have indicated that further savings of 20p to 50p per set are possible, with deals as low as £4.20, plus VAT, being reported.
Tag applicators are included in some deals free of charge, while others are offering new applicators with a discount of 50% on price.
The price of single replacement tags is extremely varied. Prices of £3 to £3.60 have been quoted, with discounts on offer for larger orders, while some tag suppliers are offering free replacement tags if purchasing new tags from them.