Sheep and goat traceability standards are being boosted with scanning infrastructure and software installed in all sheep selling saleyards and processing plants in Victoria.
The Victorian government is increasing traceability standards to protect Victoria’s $6.7 billion livestock industry.
Performance levels for Victorian sheep and goat saleyards and processing facilities will be increased from 80 to 90 per cent from early 2019.
Sheep and Goats Identification Advisory Committee chairman Stuart McLean said the government set an achievable goal.
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“Increasing action levels for saleyards and processors on the 31st of March 2019, will be very attainable by the industry, particularly with six months to prepare and plan for these changes,” said McLean.
Levels were originally set at 80 per cent to facilitate a smooth transition for industry to the new electronic National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats.
Victorian minister for agriculture Jaala Pulford said the industry had embraced the transition to electronic identification and was exceeding current action and performance levels.
“Most saleyards and abattoirs are already reading close to 100 per cent of the electronic NLIS tags on sheep and goats, so the impact of raising these levels is expected to be minimal,” she said.
“Victoria is leading the way with this critical reform and our sheep and goat industries should be commended for the way in which they have embraced the change and made a successful transition to the electronic system,” said Pulford.
The phased implementation of electronic identification, supported by the Sheep and Goat Identification Advisory Committee, has allowed saleyards, agents and processors to adapt without major disruption to established practices.
Victoria is the first state in Australia to introduce mandatory electronic identification for sheep and goats, which will provide trading partners with increased confidence in the safety and origin of Victorian products – protecting and enhancing access to expanding and profitable local and export markets.