Warning about residues

Residues in feeds will affect the marketability of meat and milk products. Australia’s export markets depend on all producers being vigilant about residues.

Before buying any feed material or feeding it to livestock:

• request a vendor declaration or Stock Food Supplier Declaration Form from the supplier of the feed;
  OR
• request a statement from the supplier of the feed that each feed ingredient is covered by a vendor declaration;
  OR
• seek a statement from the supplier of the feed as to the quality assurance system and/or pesticide monitoring practices adopted to ensure that the feed is fit for purpose and not contaminated with unacceptable contaminants;
  OR
• have the material tested for pesticide residues and other relevant contaminants (note: you will need to identify chemicals that may have been used on the crop or product in question).

When selling stock:

• National Vendor Declarations for sale stock must be completed fully and accurately.
• National Vendor Declarations for Sheep and Cattle include questions about the feeding of any pasture, crop, stubble, grain or fodder treated with an agricultural chemical in the 60 days prior to harvest or first grazing. Producers selling stock within 60 days of feeding materials with an unknown chemical treatment history should answer ‘don’t know’ to this question and identify the product fed.
• The National Vendor Declarations for Cattle also asks if by-product stockfeeds have been fed within the 60 days prior to sale. Producers who have fed materials not produced primarily for livestock consumption to stock in the 60 days prior to sale must answer ‘yes’ to this question. The by-products covered by this question include waste fruit, vegetable and fibre crops, which can be in the form of peel, pulp, pressings, stem and leaf material.