To date, 11 sheep marts and four factories have indicated their willingness to participate in the new sheep EID tagging system, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Those willing to install the systems have been asked to submit an application to the Department of Agriculture to secure Central Points of Recording (CPR) status.

From 1 June onwards, all sheep and lambs moving off a farm will need an EID tag.

While the use of EID tags is compulsory for farmers, the installation of systems capable of reading those tags is optional for marts and factories.