The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) have announced that the cattle passport is set to become a one-page document this summer in a move that will save an estimated £1m a year.
Agriculture Ministers in England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to move to a single A4 sheet from August 2011. The new-style passport will contain all the same information as the cheque book style passport and there are no changes to the rules but it will not contain pre-paid movement cards. Cattle keepers will still need to report all movements to BCMS within three days.
Current passports will stay in circulation and will be replaced with new-style passports if returned for re-issue or amendment. The change reflects the increasing popularity of the electronic services for cattle reporting, CTS Online and the self-service phone system.
BCMS operations manager Sue Mellor said the new passport had been designed in co-operation with the National Beef Association and the NFU to ensure it meets the needs of farmers.