Just under 1,000 cattle that were marked with an identification query (IDQ) on APHIS have had this status automatically removed by DAERA veterinary service in recent weeks.

The issue of animal identity came to the fore earlier this year when DAERA vets, working on behalf of the Food Standards Agency, rolled out a new policy which aimed to resolve identification queries before slaughter.

Where identification is not resolved to the satisfaction of the veterinary officer present at a meat plant, then the animal could be put in the skip, with the farmer suffering a significant financial loss.

The three main statuses that could cause a problem at slaughter are:

  • IDQ – identification query.
  • NNO – no birth notification.
  • DOBQ – date of birth query.

    • Until this year, these cattle couldn’t go to a mart, but could still be slaughtered (after a dentition check), and were eligible for the food chain. However, with the policy now changed, the onus is on farmers to resolve any issues before turning up at a meat plant.

    Previous estimates from earlier this year suggested that over 15,000 cattle in NI had an IDQ, NNO or DOBQ status.

    On enquiry, a Department spokesperson confirmed that 963 animals have had an IDQ status automatically removed in recent weeks as part of a DAERA purge of existing information.

    A significant number of these are understood to have been cows wrongly recorded as males at birth, and not picked up at their first TB test. It is a relatively simple and minor mistake to make. Most are still in their original herd of birth.

    “DAERA staff have been investigating animals which have had IDQ statuses applied in the past because of discrepancies in colour, breed or sex and have been able to remove some of these without compromising traceability.

    “In most of these cases, the discrepancy is picked up when the animal is in its herd of birth and there is no conflicting evidence to prevent such a change,” confirmed the spokesperson.

    Where applicable, herd keepers have been sent a letter confirming the change.

    Outside of that, farmers should continue to watch out for any animals on APHIS with a status that could impact eligibility to enter the food chain at slaughter. Where there are still issues, they should go to their local divisional veterinary office (DVO) to try to get it resolved.