Scottish livestock breeders exporting animals to Northern Ireland or Europe face increased bureaucracy next year.
New tagging rules, which come into force on January 1 2021, require all cattle, sheep, goats and pigs being exported from Great Britain to Europe to carry tags with a new country identification code – GB, GBR or 826, rather than UK.
The rules will also apply to exports of animals from Scotland, Wales and England to Northern Ireland.
“We have been working closely with the farming industry to find practical solutions to prepare them for January 1,” said UK Farming Minister Victoria Prentis.
“We encourage livestock exporters to follow the steps set out in our guidance on the changes to ear tagging, and to contact their suppliers.”
She urged breeders who plan to export animals to ensure their importers were happy with how their animals are identified, and to contact their ear tag suppliers to ensure the correct tags were ready for use in 2021.
Ms Prentis said all animals for export would also need to be accompanied by a new EU Export Health Certificate showing the correct country code and signed by the Official Veterinarian for export.
NFU Scotland livestock policy manager John Armour said livestock breeders would be frustrated at the need to re-tag animals going to Northern Ireland, as well as Europe.
However, he welcomed steps to help breeders adapt to the new rules and said: “An interim solution across Great Britain that will allow those who export livestock to the EU to continue to do so will allow keepers to have their tag supplier add GB to runs of new tags, or replacement tags.
“These would still have the official UK and individual animal number.
“Our understanding is that where an animal is already identified, it has been agreed that keepers can apply a third management tag with the GB prefix and the animal’s individual identification number.”
