Enforcement of ear tag rules delayed

24 April 1998

Enforcement of ear tag rules delayed

Double tagging regulations for all cattle born after Jan 1, 1998 requiring calves to carry one tag in each ear will not be enforced fully until mid to late May.

A spokesman for MAFF says that ear tag manufacturers have almost cleared the backlog of orders. But some producers may still be delayed in obtaining tags. These producers will be given dispensation to forward calves with one ear tag, following the previous deadline of Apr 14, 1998.

A definitive cut-off date after which all producers must double tag calves will be announced in the next fortnight.