Cattle passport change to help reduce errors
© Tim Scrivener Cattle passports have undergone a minor redesign to help cut the number of errors being made by farmers.
The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) revealed that a space would be added to passports part way through the ear tag number making them easier for farmers to read.
The NFU said while the move was outwardly a small change it would make life easier for livestock producers.
The change, which takes effect from September, follows feedback to BCMS from the union and other stakeholders.
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The ear tag number displayed in the top right hand corner of the cattle passport is made up of the country code (UK), a six-digit herd number, a single digit check number and then a five-figure sequential number to signify the calf.
At present these all run together as one long number, but from September a space will be inserted in between the herd mark and the check digit.
The move will apply to animals with numeric ear tags born in England, Scotland and Wales.
Passports for animals imported from other countries will not be affected.
The NFU said many members had complained that the lack of a space made record-keeping difficult as it increased the likelihood of misreading the number or transposing it incorrectly, with potentially expensive results.
According to the BCMS website, the most common error made by farmers when applying for a passport is recording the wrong sex of an animal.