Tracker entry M22: England: cattle EID and new traceability service
Planned
UK (England)
Next date
New cattle traceability service and mandatory LF EID for newborn calves expected to launch together, mid-2027
- Region
- UK
- Sector
- Livestock
- Imposed by
- Defra
- Applies to
- Cattle keepers in England
- Technology
- RFID required (LF)
What the rule requires
From mid-2027 newborn calves in England will need low-frequency (134.2 kHz) EID ear tags, alongside a new Defra cattle service that replaces the Cattle Tracing System. The existing herd does not need retagging, so demand falls on calf tags and on LF readers at markets, abattoirs and on farm.
Status: Planned; delayed to mid-2027, exact start date not yet set
What it means for RFID
England's rule is a low-frequency (LF) RFID mandate at 134.2 kHz, and it applies to newborn calves rather than the whole national herd. Demand for tags therefore builds with each calf crop instead of arriving as a one-off retagging exercise.
Cattle keepers in England will buy and fit the calf tags, and markets, abattoirs and farms will need LF readers. The tags arrive alongside the new Defra cattle service that replaces the Cattle Tracing System (CTS).
Defra confirmed the plan in June 2025, then in June 2026 dropped the original summer 2026 rollout. The tag requirement and the new service are now expected to launch together in mid-2027, with no exact start date set, so tag and reader suppliers should watch for Defra to name that date.
Timeline
- Defra confirms LF bovine EID for newborn calves and a new cattle service to replace CTS
- Defra delays the overhaul, original summer 2026 rollout dropped
- New cattle traceability service and mandatory LF EID for newborn calves expected to launch together, mid-2027
Sources
Official source: Livestock Information Ltd (Defra programme)
Last checked against the official source on 1 November 2026.
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