Farmers in NI should be given the same option as their counterparts in Britain to insert a secondary metal ear tag into cattle.

Outlining their position in a submission to DAERA, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has highlighted the ongoing costs of replacement tags in NI, estimated at £700,000 per year, and not including the cost of gathering animals, ordering and collecting new tags.

The union estimates are based on a replacement tag costing £3.25 excluding VAT and official DAERA figures which show that over 11% of cattle in NI require at least one tag to be replaced each year. Current legislation requires farmers to replace a missing tag within 28 days.

It is not the first time that the union has raised concerns with DAERA over the durability of current cattle tags, previously citing anecdotal evidence from farmers which suggest some makes last much better than others. A study in 2015 by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) into tag retention rates highlighted that there were over 70 tag brands and models approved for use in NI. However, the study was unable to identify which tags had the lowest retention rates as it was the tag supplier (some selling multiple brands) that was recorded on APHIS, not the tag brand or model.

In future, the UFU wants DAERA to change how it records data, to capture the actual make of tag.

But rather than maintain the current system of two plastic tags, the union wants the option of using a secondary metal tag in one ear, matching a primary plastic tag in the other. Farmers who used these metal tags in the past will confirm that they are much more durable. The union argues that this would reduce the cost to farmers and also improve lifetime traceability of cattle. There is also the option of exploring the possibility that this metal tag could incorporate electronic identification technology.

According to UFU president Barclay Bell, a change allowing farmers to use a metal tag/plastic tag combination would benefit everyone in the livestock industry.

“It’s a simple policy change for DAERA. There’s no need to change legislation. If the will is there, it could be done quickly and without major complications. There is no reason for that not to happen. We believe this could halve the number of tags lost,” he said.