Sheepmeat Council of Australia - Sheep Identification
Friday, 30 July 2010

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Sheep Identification
National Livestock Identification System NLIS (Sheep & Goat)

 
The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) - Sheep & Goats, is Australia's system for identifying and tracing sheep, lambs and farmed goats.

Sheepmeat Council of Australia is a member of the NLIS Advisory Committee which makes decisions about the traceability of sheep in Australia. Sheepmeat Council has input into the policy underpinning traceability of sheep in Australia and makes decisions that best benefit the nations’ sheepmeat producers.

NLIS (Sheep & Goats) was introduced on 1 January 2006. It uses visually readable ear tags printed with a property identification code (PIC). It is complemented by movement documents supplied by consignors that are used for identification and tracing (National Vendor Declaration - NVD) .

The visual tag mob-based national system is a practical, low cost and effective solution for national sheep traceability in Australia and when used in conjunction with a Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) NVD will meet domestic and export market requirements.

National Livestock Identification (Sheep & Goats) - Changes from July 1st 2010

From 1 July 2010 all movements of sheep and goats to a property with a different Property Identification Code (PIC) will need to be recorded on the NLIS database. This includes movements to agistment properties, regardless of who owns or leases those properties. Owners will not need to record a mob-based movement on the database if they buy or sell sheep through a saleyard, send them direct to an abattoir, feedlot or export depot, or exhibit them at a show, as it will be done for them.

Read further about changes/find state contact on NLIS

NLIS helps to quickly contain a major food safety or disease incident and enhances Australia's ability to maintain access to key export markets. It is being implemented by industry in partnership with governments across Australia.

Electronic tags, commonly referred to as Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID’s) are not required to maintain access to key export markets. However, they are a useful management tool that producers may choose to adopt for their specific operations.

It’s important that producers:
 

1. Have a Property Identification Code (PIC) – contact your local agriculture department

2. Tag all sheep and lambs before leaving their property of birth, irrespective of age and how they are sold, with a visually readable ear tag. This is a mandatory requirement(from1 January 2009).

3. Use an appropiate movement document (ie. NVD) when sending sheep or goats to a saleyard, abattoir or another property.

4. Use a pink Post-breeder tag:

  • to replace missing tags on sheep and goats no longer on their property of birth.
  • if you opt not to record on your movement document all the different PICs on tags on sheep or goats being moved.

    Note: changes will soon occur to the requirements of use of post-breeder tags. Information will be made available.

5. Do not remove an NLIS Sheep/Goat tag once it is attahced until the animal is processed in an abattoir.

SCA recommends producers to consider using the “year of birth” colour system for breeder tags (graphic source: Vic DPI).


 
For further details on individual State requirements for NLIS (Sheep & Goats), click on the relevant State:

NSW
VIC
TAS

Please note:
NLIS Advisory Committee continues to work with government and industry to further strengthen the ability to effectively trace the movement of sheep.


 
 
 
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