How do I access alternative feedstuff (cotton trash) under LPA?
LPA accredited livestock producers can feed their livestock cotton trash as mulch under a strict protocol developed by industry.
The protocol ensures livestock fed cotton trash continue to meet Australia’s Food Standards and the requirements of global markets. It will ensure livestock being fed, or that have had access to cotton trash, do not enter the food chain within the 60-day Export Animal Feed Interval. By adhering to this protocol, producers wishing to access cotton trash can maintain their LPA accreditation.
The protocol requires producers to source cotton trash only from approved gins and will trigger a Cotton Trash Accessed (CTA) status being applied to all the livestock on the PIC as well as a Cotton Trash PIC (CTP) status being applied to the PIC on the NLIS database.
How do I access cotton trash under LPA?
The steps to access cotton trash under LPA are:
1. Producer contacts approved cotton gin
2. Gin checks producer LPA accreditation via the LPA Service Centre
3. Producer completes Alternate Feedstuff Declaration (Cotton Trash) and provides a copy to:
4. Gin delivers cotton trash accompanied by a completed Commodity Vendor Declaration (CVD) to the producer.
5. Gin lodges copy of Alternate Feedstuff Declaration (Cotton Trash) with LPA Administration to initiate NLIS status.
6. The PIC is automatically assigned a CTP status and the individual devices are automatically assigned a CTA status on the NLIS database.
7. Producer files the CVD and Alternate Feedstuff Declaration in accordance with LPA record keeping requirements.
Removal of Accessed Cotton Trash status on NLIS
Livestock destined for slaughter or live export that have had access to cotton trash must graze on clean feed, on a PIC clear of cotton trash for a minimum of 60 days prior to slaughter or export.
Livestock will only have their cotton trash status automatically removed once they have been grazing on a clean PIC for 60 days. This PIC must have NOT had access to cotton trash or has been declared clean as outlined above. The clean feed period will commence on the date recorded on the ‘Clean Feed Verification Form’, provided the approved auditor was able to verify that livestock had been grazing on clean feed from the verified date.
The CTP status will only be removed from the PIC when:
These statuses allow potential buyers to view any risks associated with the livestock before they are purchased. By querying the status of a PIC or individual animals, buyers can assess whether they are happy to receive consignments of livestock that have been fed cotton trash or have been grazing on properties that have acquired cotton trash.
Cotton Trash Status Explanation – please refer to NLIS Terms of Use (Table 14.9)
|
Status |
When applied |
When removed |
|
CTP – PIC status |
When a PIC receives cotton trash from an approved gin and completes the Alternative Feedstuff Declaration (submitted to LPA). |
Once the PIC has been verified by an approved auditor to be clean of cotton trash (requires a Clean Feed Verification form to be submitted to LPA) and has no livestock with a CTA status assigned to that PIC. |
|
CTA – livestock device status |
When a CTP status is applied to a PIC (as above) ALL livestock assigned to that PIC are assigned a CTA status. |
Requires a 60 days clean feed period: If residing on a PIC with a CTP status, the PIC and livestock must be declared clean of cotton trash by an approved auditor (requires the Clean Feed Verification form to be submitted to LPA). The CTP status and the CTA status will be removed 60 days from the date on the Clean Feed Verification Form. If CTA livestock are moved to a clean PIC during a 60 day clean feed period at their original PIC, the CTA status remains with the livestock until the 60 day period is completed. If CTA livestock are moved to a clean PIC and the PIC of origin is not declared clean, the CTA status will remain for 60 days from the movement date recorded on the NLIS database. |
|
CTW – PIC status |
Assigned when livestock that have a CTA status are moved on to a PIC and that PIC does not have CTP status |
Automatically removed when the last CTA status animal is moved off the PIC. (Please note that a CTW status does not prevent or impact on the sale of other livestock at the PIC, only the livestock with CTA status are affected). |
LPA-accredited producers are now able to feed their livestock cotton trash or use cotton trash as mulch under a strict protocol developed by industry. The availability is dictated by the cotton gins and is only available from gins approved by the cotton industry.
Read the list of approved cotton gins here.
Read more about LPA alternative feedstuffs or download a cotton trash fact sheet for more information.
If livestock that have been fed cotton trash are slaughtered prior to the completion of the clean feed period, there is a risk of chemical residue levels exceeding those stipulated by market access requirements. There are also commercial risks in feeding by-products, like cotton trash, to livestock in that some buyers may not want to purchase such livestock.
By adhering to the protocol, producers wishing to access cotton trash will be able to maintain their LPA accreditation and the red meat industry will continue to meet the expectations of global markets.
It is recommended that before feeding cotton trash to livestock, you contact your buyer or processor and receive confirmation that they are willing to accept livestock which have had access to cotton trash.
Access to cotton trash for livestock feed has not been permitted by industry since 2005.
This is following issues in the 1980s and 1990s with chemical residues being detected in beef from livestock that had been fed cotton trash or had grazed on farms where cotton was planted and treated with chemicals such as Endosulfan (no longer registered for use in Australia).
The protocol has been developed because continued drought across eastern Australia over the past two years has increased pressure on producers to access emergency drought feed for livestock, including cotton trash.
The red meat and cotton industries have amended their MOU to allow cotton trash to be used as a source of livestock feed or mulch by LPA accredited producers from 30 November 2018. These arrangements will remain in place until otherwise determined by the red meat and cotton industries.
The Cotton Trash Accessed (CTA) status will be assigned to all devices and animals registered to your PIC at the time that the PIC status is applied. Any new animals moving onto your PIC while the PIC status is in place, will also be assigned a Cotton Trash Accessed (CTA) status.
Device based statuses will remain attached to animals indefinitely, unless the animals move off your PIC onto a PIC that has not accessed cotton trash, and in this case, the status will remain attached to the animal for 60 days after the movement date recorded on the NLIS database.
PIC statuses may also be removed following verification by an Approved Auditor that the animals are grazing on clean feed and cannot access cotton trash during the 60 day clean feed period.
If the animals are moved off your PIC mid-way through the 60 day period to a PIC with no status, the devices will continue to register the status until the 60 day period is up, at which point the device based status will be automatically removed.
Sheep can be fed cotton trash under the same provisions as cattle.
Livestock must graze on clean feed for a period of 60 days before the status is removed. This clean feed period must be verified by an Approved Auditor. The commencement of the clean feed period can occur prior to the audit being undertaken, providing that the management plan implemented by the producer provides sufficient evidence to substantiate verification that the livestock have been grazing on clean feed from the stated date, by the Approved Auditor.
Independent audits can be completed by an Approved Auditor. Currently AUS-MEAT is the only Approved Auditor for clean feed period audits. Contact AUS-MEAT on telephone 07 3361 9200, fax 07 3361 9222 or email ausmeat@ausmeat.com.au.
The producer will be required to lodge the verification received following the audit with LPA Administration (operations@integritysystems.com.au) within two days of the verification being provided.
This clean feed period must be verified by an Approved Auditor. When the Approved Auditor is contracted is the decision of the producer, although they are encouraged to do so prior to commencing the clean feed period. The commencements of the clean feed period can occur prior to the audit being undertaken, providing that the management plan implemented by the producer provides sufficient evidence to substantiate verification that the livestock have been grazing on clean feed from the stated date, by the Approved Auditor.
Individual auditors set the fees for audits. Currently AUS-MEAT is the only Approved Auditor for clean feed verification audits. Contact AUS-MEAT on telephone 07 3361 9200, fax 07 3361 9222 or email ausmeat@ausmeat.com.au .
The requirements for access to Alternate Feedstuff are a part of the LPA Program Rules. LPA accredited producers are required to adhere to the LPA Program Rules and Standards, including access to Alternate Feedstuff.
Cotton trash is classified as an Alternate Feedstuff under the LPA Program Rules and its use will be enforced as a part of the LPA program requirements. Producers acquiring cotton trash will also need to demonstrate how they are adhering to these requirements when selected for random or targeted LPA audits.
A declaration must be completed for every order of cotton trash. Download the declaration.
The protocol has been developed based on a risk assessment undertaken by the government in consultation with the industry.
The protocol requires authorised gins to have regular samples of cotton trash tested by the National Residue Survey and only those gins that are meeting the requirements of the protocol will be able to supply cotton trash to producers.
Ongoing monitoring of livestock being consigned for slaughter from properties that have accessed cotton trash will be conducted to ensure that any potential residue risks are being effectively mitigated through the protocol.
Yes, all LPA accredited producers are subject to random audits. Completion of 60 days on clean feed period and provision of a signed ‘Clean Feed Verification Form’ to LPA Administration does not negate this. Some Approved Auditors may conduct a full LPA audit while they are conducting the Clean Feed Verification audit. This is a voluntary audit at no additional cost and would exclude you from the LPA Random Audit Pool for three years. It would not exclude you from the LPA Targeted Audit program.
Feeding cotton trash does impact a PIC, even if only some of your livestock have had access, every animal registered to that PIC will be considered to have accessed cotton trash. As a result, all animals registered to that PIC are automatically allocated a cotton trash animal (CTA) status on the central NLIS database. All animals are required to complete a 60-day clean feed period before going to slaughter or export. This can occur in two ways, an approved auditor verifies the PIC is clear and no longer feeding cotton trash via an on-farm audit, or if livestock are moved to a clean PIC, and the 60 day clean feed period will automatically initiate once the movement is recorded on the central NLIS database.