Some suckler farmers have been delayed getting this years genotyping, or BDGP, tags from the Department and ICBF. Farmers who have not recieved tags often have to bring stock back from outside farms, while other farmers are looking to sell stock and can't until it's tagged before leaving the farm.

Yesterday a war of words erupted between IFA livestock chair Angus Woods and the Department, when he said that “the ongoing delays in issuing genomic tags for the BDGP scheme by the Department of Agriculture and ICBF are unacceptable and causing problems for suckler farmers.”

The Irish Farmers Journal understands the delay was partly caused by the fact that there are now multiple tag suppliers and letters had to be issued to all farmers in the scheme by the Department alerting them to the fact.

There is no good reason why tags cannot be issued earlier to facilitate farmers

However, Angus Woods said: “This is the third year of the BDGP scheme and it is high time that the Department and ICBF resolved the issue of late tags. There is no good reason why tags cannot be issued earlier to facilitate farmers.”

A spokesperson for ICBF said issuing of genomic tags is running about three to four weeks behind this time last year.

The spat between the IFA and the Department further fuels the argument for those looking to make the DNA tag and the national ID tag one and the same. Farmers have no choice but to use two national identification tags in each animal as part of Irish and EU regulations.

The argument is why can’t a DNA sample from the process of inserting these tags be used for the genotyping programme.

This sounds like much more sensible option and surely the plan should be to develop solutions with this in mind for 2019.