Tuesday 8 May, 2007 : Victorian farmers will
benefit from a $1 million Bracks Government injection
towards a voluntary National Livestock Identification
Scheme (NLIS) for sheep and goats, Minister for
Agriculture, Joe Helper, said today.
In a visit to a leading Australian saleyard, the Bendigo
Livestock Exchange, Mr Helper said 2007-08 State Budget
funding would enable sheep and goats to be
electronically tagged and tracked, in a similar scheme
to that started for cattle in the late 1990s.
“In 1999 Victoria became the first place in the world to
introduce a ‘whole of life’ cattle identification and
tracking scheme based on the use of electronic
technology,” Mr Helper said.
“The scheme’s success has further built-on this state’s
reputation, both nationally and overseas, as innovators
in livestock traceability systems.
“My department will work co-operatively with the
Livestock Saleyard Association of Victoria (LSAV) and
other stakeholders to look for opportunities to trial
this new technology for sheep and goats in a saleyard
environment.”
Mr Helper said the NLIS’s reputation was further
enhanced by Victoria’s performance during the recent
national cattle tracking exercise – Cowcatcher II,
conducted across Australia last week.
“As part of this exercise Victoria was required to trace
57 cattle selected independently on farms and at
saleyards and abattoirs across Australia and within 24
hours tracked them back to their properties of birth,”
he said.
“I am pleased to report that within 24 hours the
Department of Primary Industries had established the
life histories of 56 of the 57 animals. It took less
than 48 hours to establish the life history of the
remaining animal. This is an outstanding achievement for
Victoria’s cattle industry.”
Mr Helper said producers, saleyards, agents and
processors who had worked diligently in co-operation
with the Bracks Government to introduce the NLIS for
cattle should be proud of the achievement.
“This exercise has demonstrated yet again that the NLIS
for cattle is far superior to the tail tag and
paper-based system that it replaced,” he said.
“The operation of the NLIS in Victoria has once again
been confirmed as best practice. I would like to
congratulate Victoria’s cattle producers, saleyards,
agents and processors for the leadership they have shown
nationally and internationally in relation to the NLIS.”
The $1 million boost to extend the NLIS scheme was part
of a $239 million package unveiled in last week’s State
Budget to protect and growth Victoria’s agriculture
sector.
Click here to email us for more details
Back to News Summary page
