Electronic identification tags to benefit Victorian sheep farmers

Victorian Farmers Federation livestock council president Scott Young, Ballan, attended a meeting in Adelaide about ensuring a nationally-consistent system, and described a national rollout as bringing "all positives".

All Australian farms with sheep and goats should have electronic identification (eID) tags by January 1, 2025, following Victoria's mandatory tagging system from late 2016.

"Going forward, it will mean that all sheep coming into Victoria will be tagged with an electronic tag before they come into Victoria which will be great for Victorian producers," he said.

He said aside from the traceability and biosecurity benefits, he hoped a national system would also encourage hook tracking in the processing sector for individual animal feedback.

Agriculture Victoria livestock traceability manager Ben Fahy said Victorian producers had bought about 75 million eID tags for sheep and goats since 2017, which boosted traceability from state properties through the supply chain.

"Agriculture Victoria is actively sharing the benefits of our experiences, including as part of a national Sheep and Goat Traceability Taskforce, and by hosting industry and government personnel to see the system in use," he said.

"The Victorian Livestock industry will benefit from the greater number of sheep and goats entering the state with electronic tags due to the increased data available and possible productivity and efficiency gains the system provides."

A 2020 SAFEMEAT sheep traceability evaluation showed that Victorian eID-tagged sheep were 99 per cent traceable, compared to 70pc from interstate sheep.

Mr Young manages about 2000 first and second-cross ewes and currently uses eID tags to track growth rates and match-up contracts with processors to meet weight targets.

"I'm hoping there'll be a jump in technology and obviously with a bigger market the companies will focus more on upgrading their technology," he said.

"I'd encourage producers from other states, if they haven't already, to put eID tags in and start using the infrastructure, it's made a big difference to my business.

"Don't be scared of the technology, there will be workshops and field days to bring farmers on board and show them how to use the technology once they've got it.

"The key is just starting to put ear tags in ears."

Gringegalgona Merino stud co-principal Clive Silcock, Vasey, has had eID tags on his flock since 2017 and started learning to maximise flock productivity from 2020, using the system to track performance.

It became mandatory for Victorian farmers to tag any lambs or kids born with eID tags after January 1, 2017, under the National Livestock Identification System.

Mr Silcock said he believed other states and territories joining the eID tagging system would help with traceability and marketability.

"Especially as a Victorian producer, if you're looking to buy in sheep from other states, you're not having to handle sheep again and put in an additional eID when you go to sale," he said.

"It's also just a case of everyone moving forward rather than having some states left behind with old methodologies."

He said a national system reminded him of discussions surrounding pain relief being mandatory for mulesing, which the state government implemented on July 1, 2020.

"Victoria has been ahead and as a state we like to say we're ahead but we don't want to be ahead just as a state, we want to be ahead as a country," he said.

"It comes down to the marketability of our products on a national level.

"With all things farming, you tend to think about what you're doing and selling it to a wool processor or buyer or exporter.

"The reality is that it's the end consumer buying it and they want that traceability."