Moves are afoot to merge the Animal Health Board and NAIT, the agency implementing a new national animal identification system.
The Animal Health Board has the task of controlling bovine tuberculosis in cattle and deer, with the aim of eliminating it on farms.
The NAIT scheme, which will electronically identify and trace livestock , takes effect from next month for cattle, with deer to follow in a year.
Both agencies have data-bases that keep track of livestock movements and the intention has been to amalgamate those at some point.
But the aim now is to take that further and fully merge them.
A Stakeholders Council has been set up to oversee the process.
Chair Anders Crofoot of Federated Farmers says a full merger is logical and the hope is to have it in place in about a year.
