Datamars Ireland has confirmed to Agriland that it has been approved to supply its entire range of cattle tags to Irish farmers.
It is the third cattle tag supplier to be approved after Mullinahone Co-op and Cormac Tagging received approval in recent weeks.
Datamars Ireland is based in Leinster and the company is an affiliate of the global operator Datamars.
A statement from the company said that as a global player in animal identification, it is looking forward to providing a quality product and service to Irish farmers.
Full details and cattle tag prices will be issued by the company once its commencement date is finalised.
Two weeks ago, Galway-based company Cormac Tagging received official notification from the Department of Agriculture that it could supply cattle tags to Irish farmers.
Cormac Tagging is currently awaiting final sign off of its IT system by the Department and it will then be able to supply tags.
Farmers will be able to buy the new Caisley patented sets of tags with tissue sampling capabilities, as well as electronic tag sets and replacement tags from the company.
Meanwhile, Mullinahone Co-op was the first tag supplier to be approved by the Department under the new tag regime.
Mullinahone Co-op will also offer the full range of cattle tags sought by the Department covering conventional tags, tissue tags, electronic tags and bolus’.
The approval runs until the end of 2017 and this can be further extended by the Department.
Over 60% of farmers intend to opt out of paying the ICBF levy
With farmers now having the choice of purchasing cattle tags from several suppliers, 60% of farmers who voted in an Agriland poll said that they would be opting out of paying the ICBF levy when ordering tags.
Over 1,300 farmers took part in the poll on the ICBF levy, which farmers can now opt out of paying when ordering cattle tags. The levy accounts for in the region of €850,000 of the ICBF’s annual funding.
Speaking to Agriland, Chairman of ICBF Michael Doran, said that ICBF hasn’t got any official figures for the fall-off in farmers not paying the levy yet.
Doran said that it’s a significant funding issue now for the organisation if there is any fall-off and that the ICBF will have to explore alternative options for funding.