If you've been keeping cattle in the UK for any length of time, you'll know the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) inside out. It's been the backbone of cattle traceability since the BSE crisis in the 1990s.

But change is coming. The Livestock Information Service (LIS) is set to replace BCMS, and the rollout is happening sooner than many farmers realise. Here's what you need to know.

What is LIS?

The Livestock Information Service is a new digital system being developed as part of Defra's Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP). It's designed to replace existing species-specific traceability systems across England with a modern, multispecies platform.

According to Livestock Information Ltd, the key goals are straightforward:

Faster disease response - Real-time data means faster tracing during outbreaks
Simpler reporting - Combining on-farm and off-farm movements into one report
Digital-first - Built for modern devices and integration with farm software
Cross-species - Eventually covering cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs in one system

Key Dates for Your Diary

On 2nd June 2025, the government formally announced Defra's plans to introduce changes to cattle identification, registration and movement reporting. Here's the timeline as confirmed by Livestock Information Ltd:

December 2025 - Private Beta

A small group of selected cattle keepers began testing the new LIS system. This is invitation-only and designed to iron out any issues before wider release.

Spring 2026 - Public Beta

The system opens to all cattle keepers who want to try it. This is your chance to get familiar with LIS while BCMS is still running in parallel.

Summer 2026 - Full Rollout

This is the big one. New regulations come into effect, and LIS becomes the primary system for cattle movements. As stated in the official government announcement, the aim is to roll out the new LIS cattle service to all cattle keepers by summer 2026.

2027 - BEID Mandatory for Calves

The government has confirmed that Bovine Electronic Identification (BEID) will be introduced for all newborn calves in England from a set date in 2027, using low frequency (LF) technology.

What's Actually Changing?

Let's break down the practical differences you'll notice:

Movement Reporting

Currently with BCMS, you report "on" and "off" movements separately. With LIS, this becomes a single combined report. One farm reports the movement, and both the sending and receiving holdings are updated automatically.

This should cut your paperwork roughly in half.

Electronic Identification

The move to BEID is significant. According to the government announcement, there is no requirement to retag the existing national herd. Any calves born from 2027 onwards will need electronic tags. These work like the EID tags many sheep farmers already use.

During the transition period, animal movements will be able to be reported using either EID reads, barcode scans from passports, or visual reading of tags as is currently done.

The benefits are clear - faster reading at markets, more accurate records, and less manual data entry. But there will be a cost for the new tags and potentially readers.

Paper Passports

The long-term plan is to phase out paper cattle passports entirely. However, this won't happen overnight. As Livestock Information Ltd explains, digital animal records will eventually replace paper passports, but during the transition, passports will still be valid.

Digital Integration

LIS is being built with modern software integration in mind. The Developer Hub shows that farm management software (like Agrianta) will be able to connect directly, making compliance reporting much more automatic.

What You Need to Do Now

Don't panic - you've got time. But here's a sensible checklist:

Keep your CPH details current - Make sure your County Parish Holding numbers are up to date with APHA
Check your broadband - LIS is digital-first, so reliable internet matters more than ever
Review your tag stock - Consider electronic tags for any purchases once they become available
Watch for updates - Visit livestockinformation.org.uk for the latest news
Consider your software - Farm management systems that integrate with LIS will save you significant time

Common Questions

Will I need new equipment?

Eventually, you'll benefit from an EID reader for the new electronic tags. But these aren't mandatory for the initial rollout, and many farmers already have them for sheep.

What happens to my existing records in BCMS?

Your historical data will be migrated to LIS. You shouldn't lose any cattle history.

Is this just an England thing?

No - LIS covers England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own system (APHIS) which operates separately.

What if I don't have good internet?

According to Livestock Information Ltd's support pages, if you cannot use technology to report cattle movements, there will be help and support available to make sure you can report in other ways.

The Bottom Line

Change can feel like hassle, especially when the current system works well enough. But LIS does promise genuine improvements - faster disease tracing protects everyone's herds, and simpler reporting means less time on paperwork.

The key is not to leave it until the last minute. Summer 2026 will come around quickly, and farmers who've had a look at the public beta beforehand will find the switch much smoother.

We'll keep updating this article as new information becomes available. If you're using Agrianta, rest assured we're building LIS integration into the platform so your compliance reporting stays simple.

Sources

Government announcement on cattle identification changes - Livestock Information Ltd
Livestock Information Transformation Programme - AHDB
What is the Livestock Information Service? - Livestock Information Ltd
LIS Cattle Support - Livestock Information Ltd
British Cattle Movement Service - GOV.UK

Have any questions? Drop us a line at hello@agrianta.com and we'll do our best to help.

BCMS to LIS: What UK Cattle Farmers Need to Know About the New System