Rural retailers

The integrity system for rural retailers

While livestock producers are responsible for keeping their integrity records in order and ensuring their on-farm practices align with integrity system requirements, rural retailers also play an important role in the integrity system.

What can rural retailers do for their clients?

  • record animal treatment and chemical product batch numbers and expiry dates on clients’ invoices so they have easy access to it for their records
  • ensure your clients are aware of the Australian Welfare Guidelines and Standards for use of pain relief products for cattle, sheep and goats
  • remind your clients that it is an LPA requirement to record all livestock treatments.

Animal treatment products:

  • remind your clients that it is an LPA requirement to record all livestock treatments
  • include animal treatment and chemical product batch numbers and expiry dates on clients’ invoices so they have easy access to it for their records
  • tell your clients about the ParaBoss website, where they can find information on preventing chemical resistance and choosing the right product for their situation.

NLIS tags and equipment:

  • ensure your clients know their state or territory’s requirements for tagging of livestock, completing livestock transfers and the contact details for their state or territory authority if they need assistance with these.

Pain relief products:

  • check your clients are aware of the Australian Welfare Guidelines and Standards for use of pain relief products for cattle, sheep and goats. Adhering to these standards is a requirement of LPA accreditation.
  • remind your clients that they need to complete the LPA Animal Welfare learning module to obtain an LPA Animal Welfare Certificate.

Help your clients use the eNVD

The eNVD web-based system and eNVD mobile app are fast, easy and more accurate than paper forms, delivering time and efficiency savings.

Help your clients use eNVDs so they can save time when dispatching livestock with the help of the following resources:

A tip for your clients: users will receive a $30 discount on their LPA accreditation or reaccreditation fees if they choose to use the eNVD to complete their NVD.

Download the app:

  

image

What makes an NVD invalid?

An NVD is invalid when:

  • Handwriting on the NVD can't be read
  • All questions are not completed
  • There is no signature/s
  • Both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are ticked, instead of one or the other
  • The form has been photocopied or a sample has been used
  • White-out has been used to correct a mistake
  • One NVD has been used for multiple consignments.

For more practical tips on filling in NVDs so they are clear, correct and complete, offer your clients the following resources:

image

LPA for rural retailers FAQs

Every year, approximately  2,000 PICs are randomly selected to undergo an LPA audit. A further 1,000 PICs are chosen to participate in targeted LPA audits.

Find out more about on-farm LPA audits.

LPA accreditation is validated in the NLIS database. Log into the database and run the ‘ERP PIC status’ report to identify a property identification code (PIC)’s current LPA status. While producers and third parties can only run this report for PICs that are linked to their account, agents, saleyards, feedlots, exporters and processors can run this report for any PIC.

If any PICs have cattle with a risk status residing on them, early warning (EW) PIC statuses will be disclosed to feedlots and processors, to help them prepare for and manage these cattle on arrival. If there are no high-risk PIC statuses assigned to the PIC, the results will indicate ‘clear no test’ – meaning there is no need for the carcase to be tested at slaughter.

There are various reasons for checking the ERP PIC status of properties:

  • Feedlots and exporters must do this to prepare for the arrival of cattle.
  • Livestock agents and saleyards must do this to prepare sale catalogues.
  • Processors must ensure that cattle consigned for slaughter are fit for consumption.
  • Producers and third parties may want to know whether PIC statuses have been applied to any PICs linked to their database accounts.
  • To identify potentially contaminated animals prior to them reaching processing.

Find out more in the Check ERP PIC status Tech Tip

NVD and eNVD for rural retailers FAQs

ISC has consulted widely with industry about eNVD and electronic signatures are acceptable in all states in Australia. If agents or saleyards are experiencing any reluctance or pushback from parts of the supply chain regarding electronic signatures, ISC is keen to work with them on a one-to-one basis to resolve any issues. Contact the ISC Helpdesk on 1800 683 111 for assistance in this area.

NSW Police recognise the eNVD app as a valid form of livestock movement documentation and is urging the red meat supply chain to understand their responsibilities when it comes to stock checks and having valid documentation.

Read more information on using the app during a roadside stock check.

ISC provides an application programming interface (API) for any solution providers interested in creating and/or receiving eNVDs. ISC administers this through a licence program and anyone interested in the service can email eNVD@integritysystemscompany.com.au for more information.

 

There are a number of solution providers that are fully integrated with ISC applications, so they are licensed to provide the eNVD service to their customers. From a saleyard perspective, this means consignments you will be receiving are visible once submitted by the producer.

ISC understands there are many situations where the destination PIC will be a saleyard but producers are consigning the livestock to an agent. In this case, agents should advise the producer to put the saleyard PIC as the destination and then consign the animals to the agent as the consignee or the person taking carriage of the livestock. Some agencies will not have their own PIC so producers can manually enter the details just as they would write them in the ‘consigned to’ question on a hard copy NVD. This is the agent’s company name and the town of the branch.

From a traceability perspective, this means the livestock are still going from one PIC to another PIC, but it also acknowledges the details of the agent taking carriage of the animals when they arrive at the saleyard.

The eNVD system currently enables producers to select an Animal Health Declaration and complete it at the same time as the NVD. It is easy to select, update and attach the document to the NVD consignment on the eNVD system. However, depending on your state, you may not be required to complete this form.

ISC is currently developing software for eNVD receivers that will enable them to take carriage of consignments both online and offline on a singular digital platform.

If a producer makes a mistake when filling out an eNVD, agents should advise the producer to duplicate the consignment, update the details that they need to, and then delete the original. This can be done for 48 hours after the eNVD has been submitted.  Alternately, if the producer has printed the eNVD or has used a hard copy NVD, any changes to the NVD should be made directly onto the document with a pen and initialled.

The description on the NVD needs to be clear and free of abbreviations that may not be widely recognised. If the animals need to be visually inspected, or the transporter is pulled over at some point on the journey, the description must adequately describe the animals in the space designated on the NVD. The NVD is a food safety document and, in the majority of states, it is also accepted as a movement record or waybill, so descriptions need to be able to be understood by anyone who reads it, especially for law enforcement.

NLIS for rural retailers FAQs

This is recommended but not compulsory.

Post-sale summaries are a legal requirement of the selling agent and need to be provided to processors before midnight of the sale day. A post-sale summary provided by a selling agent to the operator of an abattoir must include:

  • sale venue
  • date of the sale
  • selling agent’s name
  • number of head in each purchased lot
  • unique identifier, if present, associated with the consignor’s movement document
  • the PICs present on the electronic NLIS (Sheep) and visually readable NLIS (Sheep) tags present on the sheep or goats in the lot
  • destination PIC provided by the purchaser, and
  • whether the sheep and goats in each sale lot were bred by the owner or vendor.

Regulatory authorities can assign a property status to properties that are associated with the Extended Residue Program (ERP). For example, an ‘OC status’ indicates that a property has a chemical residue history. To prepare for the arrival of livestock, saleyard operators and agents should check the ERP status of properties.

If any PICs have animals with a risk status residing on them, early warning (EW) PIC statuses will be disclosed to feedlots and processors, to help them prepare for and manage the animals on arrival. If the results indicate ‘clear no test’, then animals will not need to be tested at slaughter to detect any chemical residues.

Log in to the NLIS database and run the ‘ERP PIC status’ report to identify a PIC’s current LPA status. Producers, third parties, agents, saleyards, feedlots, exporters and processors can run this report for any PIC.

Find out more in the Check ERP PIC status Tech Tip.

If a PIC status is identified, it is vital this is captured on an NVD so the information can be transferred to the receiver to know what they have bought in a consignment and can manage accordingly.  

If cattle lose their NLIS tag, there are several possibilities when it comes to ensuring continued lifetime traceability. All cattle must be tagged with a white coloured breeder tag before leaving their property of birth, and:

  • If an animal loses its tag while still on the property of birth, it will need to have another white breeder tag applied. The animal will maintain its lifetime traceability regardless. If the number of the old tag is known, then a replacement can be done in the NLIS database.
  • If an animal loses its tag after it has left the property of birth, it will need to have an orange post breeder tag applied. If the number of the old tag is known, then a replacement should be done in the NLIS database – linking the original tag to the replacement tag. The animal will then maintain its lifetime traceability. If the number of the original tag is not known and cannot be linked to the replacement tag, then the animal will lose its lifetime traceability.

There are two types of tags – Breeder tags (white) and post breeder tags (orange). They look the same but are just different colours. If producer have livestock that have not been bred on the property and have lost their original tag then they need to use an orange replacement tag and upload it to the NLIS system.

The receiver of the livestock is responsible for completing the transfer on the NLIS database. For sellers, it is a good idea to check the transfer has gone through at least two days after the transaction.

Agents may have varying contracts and working relationships with their clients – some may only purchase, some may only sell and some may provide a full service. As an agent, ISC recommends being clear with your client to make sure both parties understand what has been agreed regarding the transfer.

Log in to the NLIS database using an agent or saleyard account and from the dropdown menu, select the report called ‘search the PIC register’. This is NLIS’s most frequently used report and allows users to search for details for a specific PIC, or search for the PIC associated with a business name, location, surname etc. It includes PICs for producers, abattoirs, saleyards and feedlots.

Find out more in the how-to guide: Search the PIC register.

To make it easier for producers, saleyard operators are encouraged to display the saleyard PIC in a visible location at the saleyards and in all communications to producers so that all producers are aware of the saleyard’s destination PIC.

The red meat integrity system

The Australian red meat integrity system combines livestock traceability with on-farm assurance to maintain the integrity and reputation of Australian red meat. This system underpins our livestock selling system and delivers customer confidence in the red meat products we produce. Integrity Systems Company (ISC) is responsible for managing and delivering the core elements which make up Australia’s red meat integrity system. Click the icons below to find out more about the key aspects of Australia’s red meat integrity system:

Need more help or information?

Contact ISC Customer Service for more help with integrity at info@integritysystems.com.au or on 1800 683 111 between 8am and 7pm (AEDT), Monday to Friday.

Be sure to sign up to ISC’s monthly newsletter, Integrity Matters, for practical help and information on LPA, NLIS, NVDs and more.

You can also follow ISC’s Twitter account and Facebook page for additional news and updates on integrity.

image