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ELECTRONIC tagging of sheep - which will place an extra financial burden on UK sheep farmers - will be brought in on the December 31, 2009, following agreement by national governments in Brussels.

The tags were initially set to be implemented from January 1, 2008, following adoption of a regulation back in 2003, but the EU has agreed to allow a two- year period of grace.

The EID tags cost around £1.50 each, and farmers will be required to purchase a reader device for about £700. The UK has one third of the EU sheep population and so will be disproportionately affected.

Mr Parish said: "Surely the first test the EU should have applied is whether the benefits of electronic tagging would justify the costs, and there is no proof they will.

"The UK has a third of all EU sheep, and we move them around much more than in many other countries. The technology can be complex, expensive and difficult for farmers to use.

"The implementation of this system should be as practical as possible for farmers so that they can easily insert and read the tags, and lorries full of sheep can be read at the same time."

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