As a result of the recent Sale Magistrates’ Court deliberations over a court case with regard to non-transfer of National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) data, I studied the Agriculture Department’s ‘Your Guide to Victoria’s Cattle Identification Legislation’.
As the court action was brought by the Department, against four defendants in part for not transferring NLIS information of cattle from an agistment property back to the correct farm Property Identification Code (PIC), questions have been raised about how many producers could be in breach of the law.
For example, if you are a dairy farmer, and you agist your young stock, do you realise that you have to scan them from your farm PIC to the agistment property, and then back again when you bring them back?
If you don’t know this, or even if you do and do not bother to do so, you are in breach of the law and could be fined by the Department.
How many producers have a scanner?
You could ask your agent, or someone else who does have one, but an outside person could rightfully charge a fee.
If you are one of those producers, it is best to seek advice.
“The NLIS enables cattle to be reliably identified and tracked from their property of birth to slaughter, protecting the reputation of Australia’s cattle industry as a supplier of clean wholesome beef and dairy products,” page one of the Guide to Victoria’s Cattle Identification Legislation said.
The word ‘reliably’ comes under the spotlight here, as human error can make this more difficult to guarantee.
For most saleyards, when you send your cattle in, they are scanned, and transferred either onto your agent’s PIC, or the saleyard’d PIC.
When they are sold, they are scanned onto the PIC of the buyer.
There are many opportunities for human error in this system, but ultimately, the party responsible for making sure all transfers are true and correct is the receiver.
When buying cattle from a store market, the responsibility of transfer is on the saleyard.
However, from personal experience, on a day I purchased, and another producer purchased, the PIC of his purchases were transferred to my PIC in error.
When that producer’s cattle were slaughtered, his agent told me they were registered to my PIC, and only picked up by the processor.
This will most likely not be the last time this issue comes up.
In another instance a truck driver hit a big Angus cow, and killed the cow, and damaged his truck – he is also a farmer.
He cut the ear off the dead cow so that he could identify the owner.
However the animal had been sold two years previously, but not transferred.
Fortunately, the seller was able to pass on information.
According to NLIS regulations, the legal obligation to report the arrival of cattle, sheep and goats rests with the person receiving the livestock.
Producers should also conduct a periodic audit of their NLIS data to ensure stock they have sold have been removed from their PIC account.
A recent incident occurred at a Wycheproof sheep sale, which saw an incorrect tag impact the marketing of the sheep. The producer was unable to sell his sheep.