Cattle tracing system helps achieve lifting of EU ban on British beef and cattle products
In March 1996, the European Union banned exports from the UK of beef, live animals and derived products at a cost to the UK farming industry of £650m per annum in lost exports. Among the conditions agreed with the EU for lifting the export ban was making improvements to cattle identification in the UK.
PA carried out a feasibility study on the introduction of an effective computerised cattle tracing system for the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and subsequently helped design and implement the agreed system.
The tracing system is designed to contain details of all cattle born in the UK together with their movements around the country. As there are millions of animal registrations and movements involved each year the solution needed to make optimum use of technology to ensure effective tracing, while ensuring that set up and running costs were kept as low as possible.
MAFF and PA worked together to design and implement an innovative system that was low technology at the farm and high technology at the centre with the scope to increase automation at the farm when appropriate. A new organisation, the British Cattle Movement Service, was set up to deliver a high level of advice and customer service, while ensuring a smooth introduction of the new system. A call centre was included to provide farmers with a telephone help line seven days a week.
The system was launched in September 1998, 15 months ahead of the EU deadline. The close partnership with PA was a key factor in enabling MAFF to devise and implement the cattle tracing system within a limited timescale. The system was an important factor in persuading the EU to lift the export ban on British beef and cattle products.
