Defra has said that from summer 2026, it will introduce changes to cattle identification, registration and reporting.
This will include the launch of the new LIS (Livestock Information Service) which will replace the Cattle Tracing System and will see the introduction of low-frequency eID (electronic identification) tags for cattle.
From 2027, it will be mandatory for all newborn calves to have low-frequency electronic ID ear tags which the government says will strengthen the UK's ability deal with animal disease outbreaks. Low-frequency tags are currently used for sheep.
It is hoped that a new electronic tagging system would promote safer handling of cattle, reduce errors in the reporting of data and lead to improvements to farm productivity and animal husbandry.
鈥�I strongly believe that UHF offers real potential to improve on-farm management and farmer health and safety.鈥�
NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton
However, the NFU supports the use of UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) as a management tool and to allow keepers to voluntarily use UHF chips in the one of the statutory tags. 听
System must be simple
Responding to the news, NFU Livestock Board Chair David Barton said: 鈥淲e welcome the government鈥檚 investment in a new multi-species livestock traceability service. It鈥檚 encouraging to have a clearer timeline for the introduction of bovine electronic ID for new registrations, but the system must be simple to use and incentivise digital reporting from the outset.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 important Defra now bring sheep and goats onto a multi-species platform as soon as possible. We also urge them to continue working with industry to ensure the service evolves to support better decision-making at point of sale and improve productivity and animal welfare.
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鈥淭he move towards mandatory bovine EID is positive and we recognise the role of low-frequency tags, but it鈥檚 disappointing UHF technology hasn鈥檛 been mentioned.
鈥淢oving forward, we need to understand whether livestock traceability will fall within the scope of any sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU and whether this will preclude the use of UHF technology. I strongly believe that UHF offers real potential to improve on-farm management and farmer health and safety. Keepers should be able to use it voluntarily in the primary tag to negate the need for a third management tag.鈥�
Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said the reforms would 鈥渟trike the right balance in supporting farmers with clearer, simpler rules while helping the sector strengthen its productivity, resilience and global competitiveness鈥�.
Defra has said it will also take 'a more proportionate approach to enforcement', giving keepers the opportunity to correct issues before further action is taken.听
Track the NFU's work on this via our consultation page.
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