ACTION 24
"The Scottish Executive will announce its strategy by
the end of 2001 for the roll-out of electronic
identification of cattle, linking with the existing
arrangements for electronic access to the CTS
database."
Progress
The aim is to provide an advanced, interactive and
highly efficient Electronic Cattle Traceability System
(ECT) using Electronic Identification (EID) supported by
Electronic Data Transfer (EDT). A project, managed by a
joint SEERAD/Industry Working Group, to investigate the
feasibility of introducing an EID/EDT system was
established in March 2000. The project has since been
extended to include sheep.
Two sub-groups of the joint Working Group were
established to oversee work on EID and EDT. The Scottish
Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS) was appointed as
co-ordinator to take forward both EID and EDT.
Electronic Identification: Initial field
trials, completed after the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak,
have demonstrated that this works reasonably well at farm
level but the current technology may not meet all market
and abattoir requirements. Discussions on further market
and abattoir trials to be taken forward by SAOS are
scheduled for early 2005.
Electronic Data Transfer: 28 centres were
set up throughout Scotland to demonstrate the Cattle
Tracing System (CTS) Online and to provide a coaching
service to farmers and their families to allow them to
manage their cattle records using the Internet. Roll-out
took place in November and December 2003. Uptake levels for
electronic reporting to CTS have been good - over 60% of
Scottish cattle keepers have used CTS Online.
Primary Action complete although developmental
activity is ongoing in some areas.
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