Electronic Identification Pilot Trial in Sheep

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
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Originally from – http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tracing/sheep/eid/index.htm

Electronic Identification Pilot Trial in Sheep

The European Commission’s proposals to improve identification and tracing of sheep included a recommendation that Electronic Identification (EID) should be made mandatory from 1 January 2008.

In order to test the use of EID in practical English sheep production conditions and to explore the potential business advantages to producers, Defra is running a pilot project to fully test the effectiveness of Electronic identification (EID) and Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) in a real time working environment within the English sheep industry.

The trial will cover English production conditions, involving sheep farms producing commercial and pedigree flocks, also assessing the impact of technology in markets and abattoirs.

Management and reporting of the pilot and its results have been subject to a competitive tender process was completed in February 2004.

Since sheep are probably the most difficult species to identify and trace as individuals, the pilot aims to provide a true test of how EID will work. The farmers / markets and abattoirs will be selected on varying experience of electronic systems, from the very experienced to the totally inexperienced.

The pilot trial will begin with a staggered start in March 2004 and run for a year ending in May 2005 with a full report due in June 2005. Interim findings will be available on this website in Autumn 2004.

Latest news
3 February 2004 – News release: Defra award contract to pilot electronic identification and electronic data transfer for sheep on English farms – http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040203d.htm Further information is available on our Help page about downloading or reading Adobe Acrobat documents.