Customer Corner- September 2024

NLIS Animal Transfer Guide

Dear Callum

My partner and I bought a relatively modest hobby farm earlier this year and we are now looking to grow our cattle herd in the upcoming spring sale season.

We’ll be buying some stock online and may also look at going to an auction at a smaller saleyard.

We just wanted to make sure we understood what was required in terms of traceability and recordkeeping. I’m vaguely aware that we can lose the animal’s lifetime traceability if we muck up the transfers.

Can you explain what we need to do?

Thanks


Hello

It’s great to see you’re thinking ahead and wanting to learn more about your integrity systems responsibilities. Even though you might be a small producer, you still need to do all the same things as a larger operation if you want to remain LPA compliant. That’s going to ensure your cattle retain the whole-of-life traceability now demanded by many saleyards and processors.

Your NLIS requirements as a buyer

All livestock movements between different PIC numbers must be recorded in the NLIS database.

As the buyer, you are responsible for ensuring the transfer has been recorded accurately in NLIS. If you’re using an agent, you should check this transfer has been made correctly.

If you do use a saleyard, they will record the movement on your behalf, but you should still check the NLIS database to ensure the transfer has been recorded correctly onto your PIC number.

Most state and territory departments require the NLIS transfer to be recorded withing 48 hours of receiving the livestock. Check what the requirement is in your area.

There are a few steps you need to undertake to ensure you are correctly transferring any cattle you buy.

Create, log in to, and edit your NLIS account

This fact sheet will help you learn how to create, log in to and update details on your NLIS account.

Record an NLIS transfer onto your PIC

Refer to this guide to learn how to transfer animals on or off your PIC by typing in your consignment details. This is ideal for smaller producers and if you have a list of the purchased livestock, you can simply copy and paste the list into the NLIS.

Producers buying in larger numbers of livestock can use the File upload method to add their consignment to the NLIS.

Make sure your transfer has happened in the NLIS

You can do this via the homepage of either your NLIS account or the NLIS database by following these steps:

  • Select cattle as your “Livestock type”.
  • Choose “View/generate all reports”.
  • Select the “Livestock transferred onto PIC (device report)”.
  • Enter the appropriate date range for your transfer.
  • Click ‘Go’.

If you make or discover an error in your transfer, refer to this fact sheet for guidance on how to make a transfer correction.

Following these steps to complete your livestock transfer (or confirm it has been actioned by someone else) will ensure you remain compliant and helps ensure a rapid response if a biosecurity threat emerges.


More information

Refer to the NLIS Database User Guide.

For further assistance, contact the ISC Helpdesk.