The NSW Government has reinforced its commitment to implementing a national sheep and goat electronic identification system following this week’s National Agriculture Ministers meeting.
Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said NSW is currently finalising is implementation plan and will release it in the coming weeks.
“We know a mandatory electronic identification system for sheep and goats will be a key element in responding quickly and effectively to diseases like Foot and Mouth, and we’ll be working closely with industry to roll that out in NSW on a timeline that works for the State’s producers,” Mr Saunders said.
“Our timeline will deliver on national and international standards of traceability, and also consider the time our industry needs to invest in changes to systems, skills and infrastructure to make this eID system effective.
“There’s still a lot of detail that needs to be worked out at a state and national level, including the consideration of national tag tender arrangements and the National Livestock Identification System database upgrade.”
The NSW Government will continue to work closely with industry and all key representative bodies sitting on our NSW Sheep and Goat Traceability Reference Group, which is currently meeting fortnightly.
The NSW Government will also continue to have discussions with rangeland goat producers to develop a timeline for implementation, separate to managed and farmed goats, that is achievable and considers the needs of the industry.
More information on sheep and goat electronic identification in NSW can be found online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/eid
