SEASONAL ACTIONS

Get organised and stay LPA compliant over the coming months with these suggested actions to help you get the most out of your integrity tools.

June 2024

● Sheep and Goat eIDs: With mandatory electronic identification for sheep and goats coming into effect nationally from 1 January 2025, producers who haven’t already made the switch should be making preparations.

• For a state-by-state list of rollout dates and other key information about the sheep and goat eID national implementation plan visit the Sheep and Goat Traceability Task Force website.
• Check out this video to learn more about sheep and goat eIDs and the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). For more information visit the ISC website.
• Producers transitioning to electronic identification can find handy information for ordering NLIS accredited tags for their sheep or goats by consulting this guide, which was compiled by the Sheep and Goat Traceability Task Force.

● Lambing: With parts of Australia still in lambing season, it’s a good opportunity for producers to begin tagging the flock for whole of life traceability.

● Docking: With lamb docking happening in some parts of the country right now, those producers might want to review section 6 of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep to make sure they are compliant with their responsibilities under the LPA requirements.

● Supplemental feed: As we come into winter, some producers may be relying on stockfeed to supplement their pastures until the spring rains.

• Don’t forget to refer to section 3 of the LPA requirements relating to stock foods, fodder crops, grain and pasture treatments.
• Remember to prepare Commodity Vendor Declarations for all introduced stock feed.

● Biosecurity: In recent months, we’ve seen some parts of the United States impacted by the transmission of bird flu to beef and dairy cattle herds, as well as the flow-on effects this has had for the US cattle market. While this scenario is unlikely to ever occur in Australia, it’s a timely reminder of the threat animal diseases pose for our markets and the importance of regularly reviewing and, if necessary, updating on-farm biosecurity plans.