Electronic cattle tags to be made mandatory in England

Livestock producers in England will be required to use electronic identification (EID) ear tags on cattle from 2027 onwards.

Defra will make initial changes next summer to how cattle are registered and reported, with all newborn calves being required to have low-frequency electronic tags from 2027.

The changes should make it easier for the industry to respond to potential disease outbreaks and streamline the process of reading tags when moving livestock.

See also: Scotland’s cattle herd hits lowest in more than a decade

A new cattle movement reporting system will also be introduced, which Defra say is designed to simplify existing regulations.

However, the industry remains divided over the decision to implement low-frequency tags, with several organisations calling for ultra-high frequency (UHF) tags instead, as used in Scotland.

An industry consultation carried out by Defra received almost 1,150 responses and found that, while the proposals were generally supported, more than half of respondents were concerned about the costs involved.

The Defra biosecurity minister, Baroness Hayman, said: “This is a significant milestone in modernising how we manage cattle health, welfare and traceability in England. 

“These reforms strike the right balance in supporting farmers with clearer, simpler rules while helping the sector strengthen its productivity, resilience and global competitiveness.”

Disease control

Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, emphasised the benefits of electronic tagging for disease control.

She said: “Electronic identification is a game-changer for disease traceability.

“It allows for faster, more accurate tracking of cattle movements, which is crucial in responding to outbreaks and maintaining our high biosecurity standards.”

Defra has also pledged to take a “more proportionate” approach to enforcement, allowing farmers the opportunity to correct issues before action is taken.

Industry reaction

The Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) welcomed the decision to use low-frequency technology and the confirmation of when it would be implemented.

LAA executive secretary Chris Dodds said: “It’s the right decision as it allows us to continue to use the low-frequency technology that we already have in our markets for sheep.

“It would have made our lives a lot more difficult if we had had two different systems working alongside each other on one site.”

He added that low-frequency tags were widely used in Europe and their use made sense given what the government was trying to do with alignment with the EU on trade.

The NFU also welcomed the move towards electronic tagging and a new multispecies livestock traceability service.

NFU Livestock Board chairman David Barton called for Defra to also bring sheep and goats onto a multispecies platform as soon as possible.

He added: “The move towards mandatory bovine EID is positive and we recognise the role of low-frequency tags, but it’s disappointing UHF technology hasn’t been mentioned.

“Moving forward, we need to understand whether livestock traceability will fall within the scope of any sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU and whether this will preclude the use of UHF technology.

“I strongly believe that UHF offers real potential to improve on-farm management and farmer health and safety; keepers should be able to use it voluntarily in the primary tag to negate the need for a third management tag.”

Trade frictions

The Scottish government announced at the NFU Scotland conference in February that it would mandate UHF technology for cattle.

This will mean different types of tag north and south of the border.

Neil Wilson, executive director of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland, said Defra’s announcement came as a disappointment.

“If we look at the UHF it is looking towards the future, whereas low-frequency feels like it is rooted in the past.”

Mr Wilson said the low-frequency system currently used in the sheep sector had its limitations and the UHF system had been found to be better at reading tags at auction marts.

Having two differing systems could create a cross-border issue for auction marts, and some animals might need to be double-tagged as a result.

“What is important now is that Westminster and the Scottish government get their heads together and work out what is going to happen across borders,” he said.

“We need some clarity about what we are expected to do.”

Wales is yet to say whether it plans to mandate low-frequency or UHF tags.