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Our plans for mandatory Bovine Electronic Identification (BEID) for new born calves are progressing.

First published:
2 December 2020
Last updated:

This follows the publication of the joint Welsh Government and DEFRA report.

The report studied the performance and usability of BEID technology on farms and in markets and abattoirs across England and Wales 

Discussions with key industry stakeholders are planned for this autumn. We aim for the BEID tag specifications to be agreed early 2025. 

We do not expect for official Bovine EID tags to be available on the market until 2025/2026 at the earliest. We recommend you only order enough conventional tags to cover calves expected in 2025.

We will update you towards the end of 2025 about the progress on the introduction of Bovine EID. We are not able to provide definite timescales for implementation yet. Proposals are subject to legislative amendments, and Bovine EID tag availability.

We will publish updates in Gwlad. We will also share details with industry groups, as they emerge.