The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats has been in place for two-and-a-half years but producers still need to ensure their movement documents are fully and correctly completed to enable the system to trace accurately.

A movement document can be either a national vendor declaration and waybill (NVD) or a transported stock statement (TSS).

Bill O’Halloran, project co-ordinator for the system in NSW, has high praise for the way producers, agents, saleyards and others have backed the system.

But he adds "we still have a problem with incorrect or incomplete movement documents".

"To pass the test of a full system review late in 2009, we must have movement documents right," he said.

"We need to make sure all of the property identification codes (PICs) on eartags in sheep that have not been bred by the vendor are recorded on the movement document.

"This is essential for prompt tracing.

"There are national standards for how quickly this tracing needs to be done and if all the PICs are there it saves a huge amount of time trying to find the information."

Mr O’Halloran said there was an option for vendors to use a pink post breeder tag instead of recording all the PICs.

This option is intended for people like finishers who bring in many small lots and are selling them as one lot.

"If the pink tag is used, it is essential that all previous movement documents received for the mobs in the boxed mob are completed fully and kept for the required seven years," Mr O’Halloran said.

Inspectors from Rural Lands Protection Boards and NSW Department of Primary Industries will check mobs at saleyards in coming months to ensure producers are filling out movement documents correctly.

"To get the system to work effectively and avoid having to move to much more expensive options, we have to get the movement documents right," Mr O’Halloran said.

"I’m sure we can achieve this with help from producers and their agents."

Further reading

National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)