08/03/2012Posted : March 08, 2012
Wales to invest in sheep EID database

Wales is to invest in its own Sheep EID electronic reporting system to strengthen the management of this vitally important issue for the farming industry.

Wales is to invest in its own Sheep EID electronic reporting system to strengthen the management of this vitally important issue for the farming industry.

Tagged sheep Announced yesterday (March 7) by Alun Davies, Wales' deputy minister for agriculture, the investment will provide a bespoke system for Wales that will deliver an efficient system of tracing sheep, reduce bureaucracy and provide opportunities to improve profitability.

Welsh Lamb is one of the biggest success stories of Welsh agriculture.

The deputy minister said: "I have decided to make a significant investment in a bespoke database for Wales and this underlines how important Welsh Lamb is to the economy of Wales.

"By delivering a more efficient system to trace our lamb we can continue to guarantee its provenance and quality, which will in turn secure more sales and increased prices."

Mr Davies said that work would now "continue apace" on gathering and finalising the requirements of the new system.

He said: "As I outlined in my response to Gareth Williams' Working Smarter report, working in true partnership with the industry is very important to me. I want to work with the farming industry in Wales to make sure that this system works for the industry as well as the Government, considering importantly the interaction with similar electronic systems in other countries.

"Part of the work to be done will involve looking carefully at all the benefits that a Welsh system can provide; including reassessing whether the current slaughter derogation remains appropriate alongside a central sheep database."