Rules to enable sheep and farmed goat eID

As published in the Stock Journal

As governments continue the transition to electronic identification (eID) for sheep and farmed goats, Livestock SA was recently consulted on the proposed changes to the Livestock Regulations 2013, which provide the legal framework underpinning livestock traceability in our state. Four key areas have been addressed in the proposed regulatory amendments.

1. Changes to tagging requirements to support the staged introduction of eID; i.e. sheep and farmed goats born on or after 1 January 2025 to be NLIS accredited eID tagged before leaving their property of birth and all other sheep and farmed goats to be NLIS accredited eID tagged before leaving a property from 1 January 2027. Processors and producers who conduct property to property movements must be ready to scan eID tagged sheep and farmed goats from 1 January 2025, and saleyards must be ready to scan them from 1 July 2025.
2. Updated movement documentation to specify the details required to reflect the change to individual identification.
3. The information required and timelines for it to be uploaded to the NLIS database. This includes allowing for individual sheep and farmed goats to be ‘sighted’ at special events and animal holding areas, such as shows or spelling yards, as these animals are at a temporary location for a limited time, so the consignment composition does not change.
4. The definition of harvested rangeland goats (HRG) and formalising existing requirements so that tag-free pathways from property of capture direct to processor or approved goat depot will continue for HRG as currently occurs.

Following the commitment by all state, territory and federal governments in July and September 2022 to transition small stock species to eID, Livestock SA developed a set of principles to guide our position on the various elements that would need to be addressed over time to implement the new traceability system.

Besides clarifications to the HRG definition to ensure wild state goats that roam into farming areas do not qualify as HRG as these animals may have been exposed to chemicals that pose a residue trade risk, the draft regulations achieve national harmonisation and generally align with the principles we set. However, we have several concerns and currently unanswered questions about compliance and enforcement.

For example, the proposed regulations do not sufficiently address practical concerns around eID tag retention, so without clarification, government risks penalising producers for issues beyond their control such as tag loss during transport to saleyards or abattoirs.

Similarly, the shift to a two-day timeframe for recording livestock movements in the NLIS database is a necessary step toward ensuring rapid traceability and consistency across species. However, producers cannot be held responsible for delays in data uploads due to limitations within the NLIS database.

We will continue to work hard to ensure government better understands, articulates and communicates any regulatory changes and compliance implications, and affords producers the time needed to adjust to the new eID system.

By Travis Tobin