Your right to privacy matters to us as well as to you. Please read below if you want to know what personal information we collect and how we may use it. We strictly adhere to the requirements of the data protection legislation in the UK.

When you order, we need to know your Business ID, Flock and Herd number, Name, Registered Address, E-Mail Address and Telephone numbers. This allows us to process and fulfil your order. You have the option to withhold personal information that is not required for the business validation and order process.

We use your personal information to get in contact with you if needed to give you information relating to your orders with us.

We do not sell, rent or exchange your personal information with any third party for commercial reasons, beyond the essential requirement for credit/debit card validation during purchase and for validation and approval with agencies as required to fulfil our legal obligations.

We follow strict security procedures in the storage and disclosure of information which you have given us, to prevent unauthorised access in accordance with the UK data protection legislation.

We do not collect sensitive information about you except when you specifically knowingly provided it. You can check, update or remove your personal details by ringing us on 01643 841611.

We use a technology called "cookies" as part of a normal business procedure to track patterns of behaviour of visitors to our site. A cookie is an element of data that our Website sends to your browser which is then stored on your system. You can set your browser to prevent this happening. Any information collected in this way can be used to identify you unless you change your browser settings. If you have any questions about privacy please call us on 01643 841611

Recording contact between us

We are obliged to check your identity when you contact us in connection with ordering tags for Northern Ireland. We’ll usually do this by asking for information from you that can be checked against our records. We’ll record that we’ve done along with the date and the identity of the person who dealt with the enquiry. We are required to hold this information for 3 years after your last recorded contact with us.

AHWNI is a not for profit organisation that was set up by the NI Agri-Food industry to assist the local industry to control and wherever possible eradicate endemic diseases of livestock that are a significant constraint on animal production in Northern Ireland. It is responsible for administration of the NI BVD Eradication Programme.

AHWNI takes data protection issues seriously and aims to ensure that any personal information supplied to it is dealt with in compliance with the requirements of the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and EU General Data Protection Regulation. For further information, please refer to the AHWNI’s Privacy Notice. AHWNI only uses farmer related information that is necessary to service the BVD Eradication programme. This scheme is statutory and only that information necessary to fulfil the requirements of the BVD Control Order (2016) is used. 

Data is collected from: your tag supplier when you purchase tags; the laboratory that is linked with your tag supplier or veterinary surgeon; and DAERA. The data collected is processed by the AHWNI database to allow AHWNI to ascribe direct BVD statuses to those animals tested and indirect BVD statuses to the dams of calves and to the offspring of persistently infected animals. AHWNI uses your data to communicate information to you that relates solely to the BVD eradication scheme, such as animal BVD statuses and advice on non-negative BVD status animals.

The data for your herd can be accessed via the AHWNI website www.animalhealthni.com by entering your government gateway login and password. Alternatively you can contact AHWNI at [email protected] or by telephone on 028 7963 9333 for assistance.

Programme Guidelines

1. Tag all calves at the earliest opportunity but no later than 7 days after birth. Note that calves should be dry before tagging.
2. Test all calves born into the herd, including stillbirths, using a tissue sample enabled tag purchased from a designated tag supplier.
3. Samples should be returned to the designated laboratory of choice at the earliest opportunity but no later than 7 days after a sample has been taken.
4. Where a ‘No Sample’ result is returned (ie tissue suitable for testing has not been present in the sample vial), then a repeat sample should be obtained using a supplementary tag or a blood sample should be taken from the animal by your private veterinary surgeon and submitted to an approved testing laboratory.
5. Carry out all necessary follow up testing after the discovery of a PI animal, which at minimum includes the testing of the dam of the positive calf, and if found positive the other offspring of the dam that are still on the farm.
6. A PI animal must not be moved off farm (sold) and should be isolated from other cattle until it is culled.

Please note that veterinary advice is that Persistently Infected cattle should be isolated and culled at the earliest opportunity.

Conditions for participation in the NI BVD Programme to facilitate administration.

• Tag details will be passed to the AHWNI database. Details on purchase request forms may be shared with AHWNI to assist with the resolution of queries.
• Herd details as stored by DAERA will be accessed and uploaded to the AHWNI database.
• AHWNI and approved laboratories may view information on individual animals in your herd for resolution of test queries. (This information would include current herd list, details of herds moved to and from, animal dates of birth and dates of death.)
• The testing laboratory will transfer results to the database, including the results of any repeat or relevant follow up BVD testing carried out by your private veterinary surgeon during the voluntary and compulsory phases of the BVD programme and may share details of submission forms with AHWNI to assist with the resolution of queries.
• Results on the database will be used and shared for the administration of the BVD programme.
• Results will be shared with the veterinary practice currently granted access to your herd information on APHIS/ NIFAIS to access your BVD results. If you would prefer a different practice to receive your BVD results, please nominate them below.