Based on Tipperary-Kilkenny border, Mullinahone is a household name in farms all over Ireland, as it has been the main supplier of animal identification tags to the Irish market for almost 30 years.
The co-op, which remains 100% farmer owned, now employs 70 staff across its three divisions – animal identification, animal wholesale and Compsey Creamery.
James Manley took over as general manager of Mullinahone in 2019 and since then, his focus has been on revamping the business to embrace the technological advancements within the industry, in order to future-proof the commercial offering.
This has included extensive preparation for the introduction of mandatory electronic identification (EID) tags over the last year, and significant investment in new printing technology, additional staff and website upgrades to ensure a seamless transition.
“It is a really exciting time to be in the animal identification business as we can see how new technologies are enhancing efficiencies and productivity on Irish farms,” Manley said.
“We have been gearing up for the roll-out of EID for more than 12 months now and, along with our animal ID supplier Allflex Livestock Intelligence, we have invested in stock, IT upgrades and new high-tech printing equipment.
“We were the first company to introduce EID for the bovine market in Ireland so we are already very experienced at it. We have refined our tag to ensure superior retention and readability rates and have introduced a three-year warranty and enhanced customer service for farmers.
“We are looking forward to having the new EID tags rolled out on Irish farms all over the country this spring,” he said.
Improved delivery time and more customer support
Manley has welcomed the tag subvention scheme introduced by the Department of Agriculture to provide farmers with a subsidy towards the cost of EID tags.
For Mullinahone, the investment in additional on-site technology will allow them to produce emergency tags instantly for processing on the same day as an order is received.
The co-op is also offering a three-year warranty on EID tags which includes free replacements for missing tags.
“A key focus in our business over the last number of years has been on enhancing customer support in order to provide added value to farmers,” Manley continued.
“We have recently added a new staff member who will specifically focus on customer service to support the roll out of EID. We have also welcomed the acquisition of our tag supplier Allflex Livestock Intelligence by MSD Animal Health as our close working relationship with the MSD Animal Health Ireland team allows us access to offer unrivalled expertise and additional services for farmers,” he added.
Mullinahone embracing technology
For Manley, the future of farming lies in embracing technology in order to make data entry and handling of animals easier and more efficient on farms.
“We can see the huge benefits of EID in creating efficiencies at farm level, but also for every other step in the chain – at the mart, for the vet and at the meat factory,” he continued.
“When it comes to livestock, it all starts with the tag and while EID has been made mandatory from a traceability perspective, the additional benefits in integrating EID across the farm from automatic calf feeders to drafting gates and weighing systems – the possibilities are endless.”
To support the introduction of the new EID tags, Mullinahone is also supplying the full range of Allflex Agrident EID Stick Reader and the new Allflex UTT3S Visual and EID Tagger.
“It is important that farmers know that their old taggers will still work with our new EID tags but we are always looking to improve our products to enhance the experience for farmers and this new tagger allows for an easier application process and so it would be a worthwhile investment down the line,” he added.
For Manley, the future of Mullinahone lies in becoming a “one-stop shop for animal identification and monitoring technologies” and the co-op has also recently become a distributor for SenseHub livestock monitoring technology in Ireland, brought to you by Allflex Livestock Intelligence, part of MSD Animal Health.
Emma Dooley (pictured top), recently appointed sales and technical representative at Mullinahone Co-op, will be responsible for the sales and support for the Allflex Sensehub Heat and Health Monitoring system, EID Stick readers and for the full range of Mullinahone’s Official Tag ID solutions. Emma is from a beef farm in Offaly and has recently completed her Agricultural Science degree at University College Dublin (UCD). Emma previously worked with J. Grennan & Sons, Co. Offaly, before taking up her new role with Mullinahone Co-op
For more information on Mullinahone tags, click here.
