Concern over slow uptake of electronic tags

AUCTIONEERS have voiced concern that sheep are being sent to market without being electronically tagged.

The Livestock Auctioneers Association said it had “grave concerns” about the slow uptake of electronic slaughter tags by English sheep farmers. The warning follows new figures released showing that 44% of all tags sold during January were non-EID slaughter tags.

“We are advising producers that all their sheep should be tagged with electronic slaughter tags,” said Chris Dodds, the association’s executive secretary. “If farmers don’t use electronic slaughter tags this year, it will restrict the number of people who are prepared to buy their sheep,”

Mr Dodds said he appreciated that electronic tags cost about 50p more each than a single manual tag. But he added: “The benefits to the industry in enabling some 30% of the marketplace to remain in business massively outweigh this cost.”

Auctioneers would still sell sheep presented with manual ear tags during the transition period to electronic tagging. But doing so would restrict marketing opportunities and farmers ordering 2010 tag stocks should talk to their local auctioneer first.