A fourth company has been approved by the Department of Agriculture to supply cattle tags to farmers, the first new name in three years. Agritags, based in Clones Road, Monaghan, was approved in February and is now selling tags to farmers.

The company is a division of the wider Agrihealth company, which supplies animal health equipment, veterinary services and laboratory services. The business was set up in the mid-1960s and operates in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain.

It began selling management and then identification tags to sheep and pig farmers under the Agritags brand in 1999.

The company is a division of the wider Agrihealth company, which supplies animal health equipment, veterinary services and laboratory services

For cattle, Agritags supplies tags from global manufacturer Datamars. The firm’s visual and tissue tag set is priced online at €2.90. The electronic and tissue tag set is €3.95.

A replacement visual single tag is €2.25. A replacement visual tag set is €2.80. A replacement single electronic tag is €3.50. A retest BVD tissue tag is €2. These prices include VAT but postage is extra. The firm has some special offers for farmers making a first order of its tags.

Agritags claims that its tissue tags are easy to use with no assembly required and have high retention rates. A tissue sample can be stored at room temperature, without refrigeration, until sent to the laboratory.

The other three companies approved to sell cattle identification tags to farmers are Mullinahone Co-op, Cormac Tagging Ltd and Datamars Agri Ltd.