In safe hands: Meet Kiowa, Director of Sheep and Goat Traceability

Kiowa Fenner, Director of Sheep and Goat Traceability at NSW DPI is new to NSW but by no means new to the agriculture sector.

She grew up on a beef property on the Darling Downs. Then while obtaining her degree in Rural Technology at Gatton in Queensland, she worked on the kill floor at an abattoir to finance her studies.

After this, she then worked for the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment and Biosecurity Tasmania for 2 decades across agriculture, invasive species management and biosecurity projects, before becoming the Coordinator of Biosecurity & Emergency Management. Last year she made the shift to Orange to take on the role of leading the implementation of mandatory Sheep & Goat eID in NSW.

‘Same story, different species,” she said when asked about the differences between the two projects’, two decades on.

“It's completely understandable that people often hesitate when it comes to change. We tend to feel apprehensive until we become familiar with something. However, once we've become accustomed to it and recognise the benefits, we then embrace the use of the technology as part of our daily operations.’

There are differences though, she believes that there is a much better understanding of biosecurity principles in 2023.

‘“It wasn’t even on the radar in 2003. But now, we are so dependent on export markets that we really understand the need for improved traceability throughout the whole supply chain.’’

She also points out that back then technology availability and adoption was much more of an issue, mobile platforms, apps, tablets and Wi-Fi were not available in the yards like they are now.

Looking to the future, Kiowa is encouraged by the early adopters but particularly excited to see how the move to eID for sheep and farmed goats can assist producers to collect individual animal data and utilise the data to make well-informed production decisions in the future.

“I acknowledge that not everyone shares the same level of enthusiasm for this initiative, but I remain confident in the industry's capacity for innovation and cooperation to ensure the system functions efficiently and benefits all parts of the industry.

The sheep & goat eID team are out there on the ground, helping industry to understand their requirements in relation to implementation. We will be rolling out training in the coming months in relation to the technology but in the meantime please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need further support.’’

You can contact the DPI Sheep and Goat Traceability Team by email at sheepgoateid@dpi.nsw.gov.au.