The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will introduce an annual bovine tag threshold for herd keepers ordering official bovine identification tags from today, Wednesday, July 22.

The department announced the news this morning.

It was noted that the tag threshold will be based on the average number of calves registered in the herd in the previous three years.

“Herd keepers can view their tag thresholds on their Animal Identification and Movements [AIM] profiles,” a Department of Agriculture spokesperson confirmed.

“Herd keepers that recently increased the number of breeding females in the herd and require an increased tag threshold can contact the department at: 01-5058880 to arrange an increased threshold.

“The introduction of the tag threshold is in compliance with EU legislation,” the spokesperson concluded.

‘Genuine farmer’ parameters from Europe

The parameters by which EU member states are to define a “genuine farmer” for payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have been outlined by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In a statement to AgriLand, a spokesperson for the department explained:

“The new legislative proposals for the CAP 2021–2027 define who can receive CAP payments.

“The proposal includes a requirement to define ‘genuine farmer’.

Member states should define this to ensure that ‘no support is granted to those whose agricultural activity forms only an insignificant part of their overall economic activities or whose principal business activity is not agricultural’.

The commission has stated that part-time pluriactive farmers should not be excluded from supports, the department spokesperson stressed.

“This was among the most difficult discussions during the last reform in 2013, and member states have differing perspectives on the definition,” it was added.