September 3, 2011

 

UK called to implement cattle EID database

 

 

The agriculture sector has cautiously welcomed the European Commissions' (EC) proposal to launch the cattle EID, but has said the UK government must be ready to invest in a real-time countrywide database in order to see the benefits.

 

It follows the EC's decision on Tuesday (Aug 30) to press ahead with the introduction of an electronic identification system for bovine animals on a voluntary basis.

 

The system is already used in some EU member states, mainly for farm management purposes.

 

EU chiefs said its implementation on a wider scale will strengthen the current traceability system for cattle and food products, making it faster and more accurate.

 

It will also reduce the burden of paperwork through the simplification of current administrative procedures.

 

But National Beef Association director Kim Haywood said some farmers may be put off by the initial outlay.

 

"We would recommend grants are made available, from modulation money, to livestock keepers to allow them to purchase the necessary reader equipment," she said. We believe reader frequencies must be either high frequency or ultra-high frequency technology, and these readers are expensive. High or medium frequency readers could reduce the need to gather groups of cattle for identification purposes, which would be an aid to inspections."

 

Haywood added livestock markets must be used to record movements if keepers were unable to access electronic resources for any reason.

 

"If the Minister wants to reduce overall costs, increase efficiencies, improve real-time reporting, do away with fraud and other animal disease issues, as well as decrease bureaucracy, then the Government must be prepared to invest in the technology and a central or UK database to achieve these benefits," she added.

 

Suzanne Harding, breed executive at Holstein UK, said the move was a positive step.

 

"The migration of EID from sheep to cattle has been inevitable for some time and it has the potential to offer huge financial and traceability benefits to our members and the industry as a whole," she said. "Once its use is widespread, Holstein UK and the Cattle Information Service will develop the means to incorporate the technology into its registration and data collection activities."

 

A Defra spokesman said it would study the Commission's proposals in partnership with industry stakeholders and the devolved administrations to examine whether it would benefit the industry.

 

NFUS president Nigel Miller said, "The announcement could be the start of real step forward for cattle producers in terms of cost savings and simplifying cross-compliance. However, we need to ensure the benefits which will be felt by markets, processors and the competent authorities also pay dividends for the farmers who, ultimately, will have to shoulder the cost. For example, the proposals could spell the end for cattle passports and on-farm herd registrations, both of which farmers would gladly see disappear if bovine EID were introduced in a way that they could manage comfortably. We await more detail from the EU Commission on both of these aspects."