Victoria is progressively implementing mandatory electronic identification for sheep and goats.
View the phased implementation timeline below.
- All sheep and most goat breeds born in Victoria from 1 January 2017 must be identified with an electronic NLIS (Sheep) tag before being consigned to a saleyard, abattoir, agricultural show or to another property.
- Since 31 December 2017, Victorian abattoirs and knackeries have been scanning electronic NLIS (Sheep) tags and recording animals are deceased on the NLIS database.
- Since 31 March 2018, all electronically tagged sheep and goats have been scanned in saleyards with tag information, along with the Property Identification Codes (PICs) of the vendor and purchaser, uploaded to the NLIS database.
- Since 31 March 2018 property to property (P2P) movement recording has been required where electronically tagged sheep or goats born after 1 January 2017 move directly between properties.
- From 1 January 2019, all sheep and non-exempt goats introduced from interstate and born after 1 January 2019 must be tagged with an electronic NLIS (sheep) tag before being dispatched from a Victorian property.
- The visual tag and mob based system, and the electronic system, will operate concurrently until 2022 when Victoria will have completed the transition to the electronic system. From 1 January 2022, all sheep and non-exempt goats will need to be identified with an electronic NLIS (Sheep) tag before being moved off a Victorian property.
All sheep and non-exempt goats introduced from interstate and born after 1 January 2019 must be electronically tagged before being dispatched from a Victorian property.
Interstate producers need to continue to meet their individual state requirements for tagging and identification of sheep and goats.
However, if Victorian producers buy lambs and kids born interstate after 1 January 2019, they must apply an electronic pink post-breeder tag before the animals leave the Victorian property, unless they are already tagged with an electronic NLIS (Sheep) tag. Electronic pink post-breeder tags can be purchased at 2019 subsidised prices.
Further information:
Downloads:
Timeline: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/382544/AGV18004_A4_timeline_Web_March.pdf
Sheep eID brochure: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/387725/AGV18002_8ppBrochure_FINAL_DESIGN_WEB.pdf
Understanding P2P movement requirements: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/401631/AGV18010_PropertyToProperty_FA_WEB.pdf
