Automation in the goat farming sector: expected benefits of the electronic pastern ring

With a view to a potential regulatory requirement for the electronic identification of small ruminants, stakeholders in the goat sector wished to be able to use the electronic pastern ring as an official identifier. This device was not recognised by European legislation, and no model was available on the market that met the necessary criteria for an official identifier. Furthermore, they wished to demonstrate the benefits of such an identifier for both farmers and for milk testing and downstream sectors by carrying out on-site trials. The aim of the project, in collaboration with manufacturers of identification equipment, was to develop one or more models of pastern rings meeting the requirements for official identifiers and to test their use in the field, as well as their potential applications. Following the project, the European regulation was amended to recognise the electronic pastern ring, and two models were submitted for approval. At the same time, the feasibility of data utilisation within the context of using a farmer’s software programme, through milk recording, in a market and at a slaughterhouse was demonstrated. These findings were implemented on 1 July 2010 with the introduction of mandatory RFID for small ruminants.