Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. June 2025
    2. 2025 Innovation supplement
    3. May 2025
    4. April 2025
    5. March 2025
    6. 2025 Buildings supplement
    7. February 2025
    8. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    9. January 2025
    10. December 2024
    11. November 2024
    12. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. August 2024
    16. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    17. July 2024
    18. June 2024
    19. 2024 Innovation supplement
    20. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    21. May 2024
    22. April 2024
    23. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    24. March 2024
    25. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    31. October 2023
    32. September 2023
    33. Health Supplement
    Featured

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025
    Recent

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025

    2025 Innovation supplement now available

    June 4, 2025

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Business

Defra promises to work with pig industry on pig identification changes

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverMarch 19, 20243 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Northamptonshire's Bridge House Farm is using UHF EID in all animals from birth

Defra has said it will work with the industry as it considers making changes to pig identification, including the possible greater use of electronic tags.

The Department has responded to a 2022 report by AHDB into pig movements, identification and traceability, which made 48 recommendations.

The backdrop is the ongoing transition from the ‘aged and separate’ livestock movement recording systems – eAML2 for pigs – to the multi-species Livestock Information Service (LIS).

Pigs will be the third species to make the move, but it will not be for some time yet. Sheep movement reporting transitioned onto LIS in 2022, with cattle moving on to the service by the end of 2024, ‘to be followed later by pigs’, Defra said.

The service may have the capacity to either interlink or feed data across to update other relevant services. Defra said it will ‘look into creating a consistent approach’ to the registration process, but has not yet determined whether LIS will be the future system for registration.

LIS is being developed by Livestock Information Limited a joint venture between Defra and AHDB, supported by industry stakeholder group, the Traceability Design User Group (TDUG).

  • You can view the full report HERE

Among the recommendations, the 2022 report said, while using ear tags and tattoos is acceptable ‘at present’, in the longer term there should be a ‘move to electronic tagging of pigs from the time they leave their holding of birth to ensure full traceability unless the current work on DNA tracing or facial recognition can deliver improved traceability’. An economic assessment of introducing electronic tagging should be carried out, it said.

In its response, Defra said: “While the government recognises the opportunity this recommendation presents, any proposed changes will be assessed against the impact on industry, the cost of implementation and long term-benefits.”

It said the government will review the data currently available, including the AHDB-led project, ‘The End2End Traceability and Automated Data Capture’, which aimed to explore the value of automated data capture using UHF EID (Ultra High Frequency Electronic Identification) ear tags and maternal DNA traceability in the pork supply chain, specifically in outdoor pigs.

“The government will work with industry as it considers how pig identification may evolve over the coming years. That may happen as, or after, pig movement reporting transitions over to LIS. This may involve trials, as well as formal consultation and continuous ongoing discussions with the sector,” Defra said.

It added that several of the recommendations in the report will be considered in a longer time frame because their development is dependent on the transition of pig movement reporting data from eAML2 to LIS.

NPA response

NPA senior policy adviser Katie Jarvis said: “Given the threat that notifiable diseases like African Swine Fever pose to the national pig herd, it is vital that identification and traceability systems are used to accurately record pig movements.

“The NPA has been a part of the TDUG developing the Livestock Information System since its inception, and we hope that the new system for pigs will be a positive outcome for the industry.

“The NPA has long advised that it would be impractical to introduce EID for pigs. It is crucial that the new system does not impact negatively on the way that pig movements are currently recorded.”

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticlePilgrim’s Food Masters to close West London site, with 260 redundancies
Next Article FSA criticised over push to fast-track ‘lab-grown meat’ approvals in the UK
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

Farming and rural bodies give ‘cautious welcome’ to better-than-expected Defra funding settlement

June 11, 2025

GB pig prices for week ending June 7, 2025 – SPP moves up for fourth successive week

June 11, 2025

China delays retaliatory investigation into EU pork products

June 11, 2025
Latest News

Pigs Tomorrow: The sustainability challenges and trade-offs

June 13, 2025

Pigs Tomorrow: Ever-increasing knowledge informs future of farrowing

June 12, 2025

Farming and rural bodies give ‘cautious welcome’ to better-than-expected Defra funding settlement

June 11, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1752 Somerset

    • Somerset
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Piggery Stockpersons – Ref 1751 Western Australia

    • Western Australia
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior-Level Pig Stockperson – Ref 1750 Hertfordshire

    • Hertfordshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.