Feedback sought on livestock recording

FARMERS ARE being urged to have their say on a movement data recording system that has the potential to deliver “big benefits” for the sector.

The Livestock Information Programme (LIP) is a joint scheme between the agricultural industry and the Government to create a single system for registering and tracing livestock in England, and will replace existing arrangements.

To deliver the service, a public company called Livestock Information has been established. It is a subsidiary of AHDB, which owns 51 per cent, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has a stake and will fund the statutory traceability aspects of the service.

The LIP will collect real-time data on sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, deer and, eventually, horses in one place. It is said that this will enable a “more effective response to disease and food safety incidents and supporting trade”. There are plans to connect data across the livestock sector.

The NFU’s livestock adviser, Harriet Henrick, said: “After starting to look at the technical issues, the LIP has now opened the floor to farmers to have their say on how the service could operate given their experiences with the current systems.”

In March, Defra put out a notice for companies to take on testing and there will be a formal consultation but the LIP is looking for early feedback. The NFU wants to hear from those “that love or hate technology, from businesses large and small, whether they farm cattle, sheep or goats”.

Farmers can contact John Royle or Ms Henrick at the NFU’s headquarters.