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The client

Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) is the department of the Isle of Man Government tasked with overseeing legislation relating to the agricultural and fisheries sectors. In addition, DEFA is responsible for safeguarding the Island's natural environment and wildlife. This includes managing the Island's livestock, which comprises over 20,000 cattle.

The challenge

EU legislation mandates more robust tracking

In response to the new European Union legislation, DEFA needed a digital system to meticulously record and monitor the presence and movement of all bovine animals on the Isle of Man. The legislation mandated that every bovine animal, from birth or import onto the Island to death or export, be tracked through a Europe-wide Unique Bovine Animal Number (UBAN), marked by two ear tags. DEFA needed a robust solution to ensure the accurate identification and traceability of each animal and address the logistical complexities associated with recording the cattle's movements.

The solution

Bespoke BITS to meet the EU deadline 

Following a rigorous procurement process, PDMS was selected to create the Bovine Information and Tracking System (BITS). The solution needed to adhere to tight development timelines to meet the EU legislation deadline. The bespoke BITS was designed to handle the unique requirements of ear tag manufacturers, track the issuance and status of tags, and facilitate the seamless recording of bovine births, deaths, and movements on and off the Island. 

A herd of cows stood behind a fence in a field
Cows walking off of a trailer

The project 

The BITS project entailed the development of several key functionalities:

  • Tag Import Functions: Custom-built to meet the specific requirements of tag manufacturers
  • Birth Registration: Initiated by pre-printed Birth Registration Forms from animal keepers, ensuring the recording of UBAN, breed, sex, and other crucial details
  • Cattle Passport and Movement Cards: Generated for each animal to document departures and arrivals, enabling accurate movement tracking
  • Movement Registration: Triggered by receipt of movement notifications, ensuring no subsequent animal movements are recorded without proper documentation
  • Query and Reporting Engine: A flexible system for generating detailed reports and conducting audits
  • User Privileges: A hierarchical access system ranging from full system Administrators to read-only browsers

PDMS collaborated closely with DEFA to ensure the system was thoroughly tested and operational by the required deadline.

Farmer using an iPad with cows in the background

The benefits

The BITS has significantly improved the control and tracking of bovine animals on the Isle of Man. Benefits include:

Enhanced accuracy

Real-time data across the Isle of Man, ensuring animals cannot be registered without tags and preventing unrecorded movements

Improved management

Online access to animal data aids farmers in efficient farm management and compliance with testing requirements

Regulatory compliance

Meeting stringent EU legislation requirements and providing a robust audit trail for all animal registrations and movement

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