From 2016 the penalties will only apply if 15 per cent of the herd are found to be breaking the requirement to have two ear tags.

Includes relaxation in the approach to assessing missing ear tags

The rules relating to the identification and registration of cattle and sheep are set to change in Northern Ireland from January 1, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has announced.

DARD say that in the coming days, a letter will be issued to all eligible 2015 area based payment applications to inform them of the changes relating to Cross-Compliance Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs). The changes include a relaxation in the approach to assessing missing ear tags in bovines.

All farmers receiving area based payments are expected to comply with SMRs, as they help to protect animal, humans and plant health, environment and animal welfare.

Under the current system, penalties are applied if 10 per cent of cattle within the herd, or 20 animals (whichever is lower) have one ear tag missing when inspected. However, from 2016 the penalties will only apply if 15 per cent of the herd are found to be breaking the requirement to have two ear tags.

This relaxation of the approach will be backdated to the beginning of 2014 and penalties applied using the 2014 threshold will be recalculated.

Conversely the rules will be tightened for those who are late in notifying births, deaths and movements of their bovines.

Until now when calculating Cross-Compliance Cattle Identification Inspection were taken into account. However, the European Commission has advised DARD must take all late notifications made between the start of the scheme year up to, and including, the date of the completion of the inspection into consideration when calculating penalties.