A spokesperson for a Yorkshire manufacturer and supplier of animal identification and healthcare products says the company’s new automatic sheep tagging device received a warm reception from French farmers, when it was showcased at an agricultural trade fair in September.

(from left):
Tim Waistell – Ritchey Territory Manager
Sean O’Toole – Ritchey Territory Manager
Ola Nowaczek – Ritchey Export Sales Advisor
John Gleave- Vice-Consul Trade & Investment - UK

(Mrs) Ola Nowaczek, who is export sales adviser for Masham-based firm, Ritchey, attended the SPACE agricultural trade fair in Rennes, France on 15-18 September. She received a number of enquiries from individual producers and agricultural merchants interested in the new Ritchey Autotagger®.

The Autotagger® takes 10 tags at once, which reduces tagging time considerably, compared with a standard sheep tag applicator. It uses a staple gun action, which eliminates the need for a blade. The Autotagger® system is less stressful for livestock, and reduces the risk of operator injury. The product was launched to UK trade customers in August (2009), and will be on sale to UK farmers from 26 October 2009.

In order to meet legal export requirements, Mrs Nowaczek is now in the process of obtaining a licence to sell the Autotagger® in France. She says she is very grateful to UK Trade and Industry, which provided a grant covering a percentage (50%) of the costs incurred during her trip abroad. In November 2010, she is hoping to take the Autotagger® to Germany, where it will be on view at the Euro Tier exhibition in Hanover.

“Many of the farmers who visited our show stand were asking whether the Autotagger® could handle electronic identification (EID) tags,” says Mrs Nowaczek. “I explained that we are working on an EID version, which will be available very soon. In the UK, the new EID rules will come into force in January, 2010.

“At Ritchey, we don’t think sheep EID should have been made compulsory,” she adds. “It will create more paperwork, and add unnecessary expense to sheep production. That is why we have made it our goal is to keep costs down, wherever possible. Our automatic tagging products have been designed to offer good value for money and cut down on labour inputs, which are another big worry for farmers at the moment.”

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