The IFA National Sheep Chairman says that sheep farmers are being ‘unfairly scapegoated’ over missing electronic tags at factories.
Sean Dennehy made the comments today after a report published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found that 0.5% – 0.9% of sheep at factories did not have an EID.
Sheep farmers will be required from the 1st of October this year to electronically tag all lambs that will be sold.
Mr Dennehy says that farmers will be forced to also cover the costs of the missing tags at factories and this is not acceptable.
He says the ‘report takes no account of the reality of the normal loss rate of tags. It is inevitable that tags will fall out on farms and during transport of sheep. A loss rate has to be expected’
