The state's sheep and farmed goat producers will be able to buy subsidised electronic tags for less than $1 each ahead of the roll out of mandatory eID.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven has shared with Stock Journal that next week's 2023-24 state budget will include more than $9 million in funding to assist the supply chain to be ready for the agreed national start date of January 1, 2025.
This much anticipated money - in addition to the federal government contribution likely to be about $3.5 million - will be used to offer a 50 per cent rebate for those SA producers tagging newborn lambs and kids for the next two years (2023-2024 and 2024-25).
Ms Scriven says this will encourage producers to be ready for January 1, 2025. All lambs born after this date must be tagged before leaving the property but producers will have a further two years before all age groups of sheep and goats will need to be tagged.
The initial funding package will also pay for 75 per cent of essential infrastructure needed across the supply chain to transition to eID. Those eligible will include saleyards, agents, feedlots, agricultural shows and processors.
"Saleyards will be responsible for scanning tags on arrival. PIRSA will run a compliance program over the top and follow up non-compliance as necessary," she said.
Ms Scriven says many producers are already using eID voluntarily but transitioning from the mob based system with visual tags to individual eID was incredibly important to improve traceability in SA's sheep flocks and goat herds.
It will ensure a quick response in the unfortunate event of an exotic disease outbreak in the state's $4.3b livestock industry.
"This is about being prepared for emergency animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease or Lumpy Skin Disease, ensuring we are able to get on top of an incursion if it should occur as quickly as possible and also reopen in terms of market access," she said.
"Traceability is absolutely key for all of those things and it is an incredibly important part of biosecurity."
Because of strong advocacy from Livestock SA Ms Scriven says the state government has agreed to provide the subsidy to any producer who has tagged newborn lambs or kids since the start of 2023.
"Those who have done the right thing in terms of early adoption won't be disadvantaged because of that, assuming that it is the NLIS approved tag of course," she said.
"We are working on roughly 30 per cent of animals are retaining for breeding and that is of course what we would expect the producers to be focusing on."
Ms Scriven says they are still working through the mechanism of delivering the tag rebate but were absolutely committed to keep producers up to date on the next steps.
"As part of the budget process this information will be announced very soon," she said.
"We are looking at the tags being less than $1 each and have the intension of working with our colleagues in other states to get the cost down even further."
Despite some producers seeking exemptions for certain classes or movements Ms Scriven says it will only be rangeland goats which will be exempt from being eID tagged.
"It is really important that we do have a national system so that when we are looking at international trade access our customers overseas can see this is an integrated nationwide system," she said.
Ms Scriven says she will work closely with industry to determine what is needed for stage 2 (all animals will require a tag from January 1 2027), including potentially more funding.
"We appreciate there will be a crossover where there will be some double tagging required at 2027 and we will be working closely with industry to see what the appropriate approach for that is," she said.
Livestock SA vice president Allan Piggott says the organisation is pleased the state government has listened to industry as it worked towards the January 1 2025 implementation date.
"By subsiding the infrastructure and the cost of the tags for producers, this will ensure that the supply chain works well to implement this important initiative," he said.
"The technology is well developed and was first implemented for cattle in SA in 2004. Many SA sheep and goat producers are already using eID technology to assist with on-farm management and production decisions."
Mr Piggott said Livestock SA would continue to work with the state government on the second stage of implementation and the support that will be required to enable a full transition.
