EID reprieve

THE DEADLINE for the compulsory electronic tagging of sheep born before 1 January 2010 has been extended to the end of 2014.

The European Commission decision has been welcomed by farming leaders, who said the original deadline of the end of this month was “rubbing salt in the wounds of farmers”.

The decision was taken on Wednesday, recognising the UK government lobby that said the requirement to individually record the movements of these older sheep represented a substantial administrative burden.

The compromise deal means there can be no extension to the deadline beyond 31 December 2014.

The NFUS  met with the Scottish government on Thursday to address other concerns they have with the electronic tagging system (EID), which need “urgent attention”.