Latest news with #EUAnimalHealthLaw
Agriland
7 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Deadline looming for NI farmers to use up old ID tags
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (DAERA) is reminding all livestock keepers they have less than four weeks to use any remaining stocks of 'UK' prefixed livestock identification (ID) tags that they hold. From the June 30, 2025 only 'XI' prefixed tags can be used to identify newborn cattle, sheep, and goats. A DAERA spokesperson said: 'DAERA facilitated a 12-month transitional period to allow livestock keepers time to use up stocks of 'UK' prefixed livestock tags. 'However, this transitional period will end soon and from June 30, 2025, any unused 'UK' prefixed tags will become obsolete and keepers will not be able to use them to identify their animals.' DAERA continues to recommend that 'XI' prefixed tags are applied to newborn animals that may be exported to outside the UK in the future. Otherwise, they may have to be re-identified prior to export. There is no requirement to re-identify animals with 'XI' tags, if identified in Northern Ireland, with 'UK' tags prior to June 30, 2025, if they will remain in the UK. However, livestock keepers, will need to check the identification requirements for animals destined for the EU, which is available on the DAERA website. The change to the prefix code on livestock tags, which is a legal requirement under EU Animal Health Law, will ensure continued unfettered access to both EU and UK internal markets for NI livestock and agri-food products. DAERA has stated that this is subject to normal export eligibility requirements. Since June 24, 2024: All new cattle tags issued in NI begin with 'XI 0', replacing 'UK 9'. This will allow the whole tag number to be encoded on electronic identification devices in future; All new sheep tags issued in NI begin with XI 17 replacing 'UK 17'. From June 30, 2025, all sheep being exported to the Republic of Ireland must be identified with 'XI' tags prior to their export,. This includes any previously identified with 'UK' tags with the re-identification being recorded in the flock register. Keepers may wish to consider identifying all sheep going to market with 'XI' tags to ensure they are eligible for purchase for export. However, cattle identified with 'UK' tags prior to June 30, 2025 can still be exported to Ireland after this date without being re-identified with 'XI' tags. Currently all livestock exported to continental Europe must be identified with 'XI' tags prior to their export. Any such animals previously tagged with 'UK' tags must be re-identified with 'XI' tags. For cattle, this must be done under veterinary supervision.
Agriland
12-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
NI farmers advised to use up UK livestock tags before they become ‘obsolete' in June
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has today (Monday, May 12) advised farmers in Northern Ireland to use up any UK livestock tags they may have before the final switchover date of June 30, 2025. The prefix code on Northern Ireland livestock identification tags for cattle, sheep and goats changed from UK to XI last year. This change was a legal requirement under EU Animal Health Law to 'ensure continued unfettered access – subject to normal export eligibility requirements – to both EU and UK internal markets' for livestock and agri-food products from Northern Ireland. From June last year only tags bearing the XI prefix could be purchased and UK prefix tags were no longer available to buy. However DAERA had facilitated an additional 12-month 'transitional period' for livestock keepers to use up any remaining stocks of UK tags. DAERA has recommend that XI prefixed tags are applied to all newborn animals in Northern Ireland if it is likely that the animal will be exported to outside the UK in the future. Otherwise, they may have to be re-identified prior to export. But, animals identified in Northern Ireland with UK tags prior to June 30, 2025, which are remaining within the UK, will not need to be re-identified with XI tags. A DAERA spokesperson added today: 'As we approach the end of this transitional period on June 30, 2025, livestock keepers are encouraged to use up any remaining UK tags. 'From this date, unused UK prefixed tags will become obsolete and keepers will not be able to use them to identify their animals.' DAERA has also reminded exporters to the Republic of Ireland that from June 30, 2025, all sheep must be identified with XI tags prior to their export, including any previously identified with UK tags with the re-identification being recorded in the flock register. 'Keepers may wish to consider identifying all sheep going to market with XI tags to ensure they are eligible for purchase for export. 'However, cattle identified with UK tags prior to 30 June 2025 can still be exported to Ireland after this date without being re-identified with XI tags,' the department outlined. According to DAERA, exporters to continental Europe are reminded that all livestock must be identified with XI tags prior to their export. It has advised that any animals previously tagged with UK tags must be re-identified with XI tags. For cattle, this must be done under veterinary supervision the department also outlined.
Agriland
07-05-2025
- Health
- Agriland
DAFM has 30 proposals for emergency TB Summit
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is expected to outline around 30 draft proposals to tackle the rising incidence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) at an emergency meeting tomorrow (Thursday, May 8). The TB Summit, convened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, will see key stakeholders, including farm organisations, gather at Agriculture House in Dublin. It is understood the event, which will run from 9:30a.m until around 4:00p.m, will include bilateral discussions between the stakeholders and Minister Heydon. As previously reported by Agriland, DAFM previously presented over 20 proposed measures to curb the spread of the disease to members of the TB Forum, but nothing has yet been agreed. DAFM Agriland understands that the department is expected to present proposals at tomorrow's meeting under the following headings: Support herds to remain free of bovine TB; Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bovine TB; Detect and eliminate TB infection as early as possible in herds with a TB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown; Help farmers improve all areas of on-farm biosecurity; Reduce the impact of known high risk animals in spreading bTB. The draft proposals are expected to state that information on TB herd risk category would be provided at point of sale for all cattle. This would involve the department overhauling the current herd categorisation model to increase the number of herds in the best (lowest risk) category. Only high risk breakdowns will impact a herd's categorisation. The proposed actions would facilitate earlier detection of TB before infection is spread through animal movement by requiring a 30 day pre-movement test only under the EU Animal Health Law. Farmers would be encouraged to engage in one herd to one herd contract-rearing arrangements only. If calves from more than one herd are contract reared together, a pre-movement test into rearing herd will be required for calves. All animals returning from a contract rearer will require a 30-day pre-movement test. The proposals include the development of a national breeding strategy to increase the resistance of the national cattle herd to bovine TB and incentivise the use of bulls with higher levels of TB resistance through the On Farm Market Valuation (OFMV) scheme. When it comes to detecting herds with a TB breakdown as quickly as possible, it is understood that targeted gamma interferon (GIF) testing of the exposed cohort in large breakdowns of breeding herds will be used to reduce residual infection. Under the proposals, this blood testing would be mandatory in herds of 60 cows or more where 5% of the exposed cohort test positive or 10 reactors, whichever is the lesser. It is understood that the proposals state that all high risk breakdowns will require two clear skin tests at least six months apart to be derestricted. To assist farmers with relapse high risk herds to identify cows with residual infection as early as possible, these herds will require testing at six-monthly intervals for a period of five years. Proposals The proposals would prevent the sale of cows that were part of the exposed cohort at the time of breakdown in breeding herds greater than 60 cows or more, where 5% of the exposed cohort test positive or 10 reactors, whichever is the lesser, to other farms for three years after derestriction. Cows could still be sold direct to controlled finishing units (CFUs) or direct to slaughter in this three-year period. The proposals would facilitate the movement of unweaned dairy calves from TB restricted herds to another herd. The purchasing herd will be restricted until two clear skin tests at least 60 days apart – calves may be freely traded once the purchasing herd is derestricted. It is also proposed that TB test negative cull cows from restricted herds could be sold through special cull cow sales in marts to CFUs. It is understood that DAFM will propose that for relapse high risk herds, no compensation will be payable for stock purchased from a herd which had a breakdown in the last five years. For relapse high risk herds, exposed cohorts will be ineligible for future reactor grants if not culled within three years. Cows greater than five lactations will be ineligible for reactor grants in relapse high risk herds. Wildlife When it comes to wildlife, it is understood DAFM is proposing that badgers will only be vaccinated against TB if they have tested negative for the disease. Badgers that test positive for TB will be culled. The department will increase operatives in the wildlife programme by 30%, while a bespoke wildlife response model would be implemented for areas of high TB incidence. The proposals also provide for risk mitigation plans (RMPs) in all high risk breakdowns to reduce the risk of future breakdowns. Free veterinary advice would be provided to farmers through increased Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) availability. Greater use would also be made of discussion groups and the Knowledge Transfer (KT) model to build awareness among farmers on ways of improving on farm biosecurity. TB rates According to the department data, over 41,600 TB reactors were detected in 2024, which was a 44% jump on the previous year. This increase was in addition to an increase of 24% in 2023 from over 23,000 reactors in 2022. If this trend continues, the department has warned that we can expect over 60,000 reactors in 2025. Over 6,000 farms were affected by a TB outbreak in 2024. Herd incidence has increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024. This represents a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted between 2022 and 2024. The total cost of running the TB eradication programme in 2024 stood at over €100 million. In addition, farmers contributed €8 million in disease levies last year, as well as paying for their annual TB test. It is understood that the loss of milk revenues to the dairy industry was estimated to be around 145 million litres last year. This resulted in a loss at farm gate prices alone of about €70 million and around €110 million lost in export revenue. It is believed that DAFM will highlight a recent study which showed Ireland's current approach of testing and removing infected cattle and culling or vaccinating badgers alone will not eradicate bovine TB. This study outlined that the current programme must be expanded with enhanced biosecurity and the curtailment of the movement of high risk cattle.
