Scotland’s farming Union and the Scottish Government have united in their decision to implement Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tags for the cattle sector.

Speaking at AgriScot, NFUS president Martin Kennedy called on the Scottish Government to make UHF electronic tags compulsory for newborn calves from January 1, 2026.

This move would see Scotland adopting UHF tag technology, whereas most of the world has opted for low frequency (LF) technology. England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have yet to declare a preference for the technology they will use for electronic identification of bovines. The adoption of UHF technology in Scotland would mean farmers would be unable to use LF readers, which are currently used to read sheep tags.

In response to Mr Kennedy’s plea, farming minister Jim Fairlie said: “It is very much the Scottish Government’s preferred choice to go down the UHF electronic tag route.”

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