Australia has world-leading livestock traceability systems, and an ongoing reform agenda to ensure these continue to meet and exceed our needs into the future to maintain our biosecurity and enhance export trade.

In September 2022, (Commonwealth, State and Territory) Agriculture Ministers reaffirmed their commitment, first agreed in July 2022, for government to work collaboratively with industry to advance work on a national approach to Australia’s livestock traceability systems. This includes Ministers’ collective agreement to introduce a national mandatory individual electronic identification (eID) for sheep and goats, working towards 1 January 2025.

To undertake this work the National Biosecurity Committee (NBC) established a new government-industry Sheep and Goat Traceability Task Force (SGTTF). Governments and industry are working together towards a mandatory national traceability system using eID for sheep and goats by 1 January 2025.

Remember the range of eID tags available are all NLIS Approved which means when you order them, they will come with the NLIS Logo and your PIC. They must be applied to your sheep or goats when they leave your property.

Why is eID being implemented?

The implementation of electronic identification (eID) in livestock, such as sheep and goats, serves several important purposes aimed at enhancing traceability and biosecurity within the industry:

1. Accurate and Timely Traceability: eID systems allow for more precise and immediate tracing of individual animals throughout their lifecycle. This capability ensures that each animal can be tracked from birth to slaughter, enabling better monitoring of movements and activities.
2. Quick Response to Disease Outbreaks and Food Safety Concerns: By accurately identifying and tracing animals, authorities can swiftly respond to disease outbreaks or food safety concerns. This capability is crucial for preventing the spread of diseases within the livestock population and safeguarding public health.
3. Minimization of Impact during Emergencies: During emergency disease situations, such as outbreaks of contagious diseases like foot-and-mouth disease, eID systems help minimize the number of animals and producers affected. Swift identification and containment of affected animals reduce the overall impact on the industry and prevent unnecessary destruction of healthy livestock.
4. Facilitation of Export Market Access: Improved traceability through eID systems reduces the time that a country like Australia may be restricted from export markets following disease outbreaks or residue incidents. This enhances confidence among trading partners and helps maintain access to valuable export markets.

The effectiveness of eID systems is highlighted by various case studies and experiences, such as the findings from a traceability exercise conducted by SAFEMEAT, which demonstrated significantly higher traceability rates with eID compared to traditional visual tag-based systems. Additionally, experiences from regions like Victoria in Australia have shown substantial improvements in the speed and efficiency of traceback processes with the adoption of eID technology, reducing the time required from days to hours.

The implementation of eID in livestock serves as a critical tool for enhancing biosecurity, improving traceability, and safeguarding the integrity of the livestock industry and its products.

How do eIDs improve traceability?

eID significantly enhances traceability in the livestock industry by providing a systematic and efficient means of tracking and identifying individual animals throughout their lifecycle. Here’s how it achieves this:

1. Individual Identification: eID allows for the precise tracking of movements of animals between locations. Each animal is assigned a unique identifier, which is electronically recorded and can be easily accessed throughout its life. This enables authorities and stakeholders to accurately monitor the movement of animals from birth to slaughter, ensuring comprehensive traceability.
2. Accurate Record Keeping: Through the use of a centralized database like the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database, eID systems facilitate accurate record-keeping of all relevant information pertaining to each animal. This includes details such as birth records, ownership transfers, health status, and movement history. Having such comprehensive and reliable data ensures that the information regarding livestock can be easily accessed and verified whenever necessary.
3. Quick Retrieval of Information: In the event of a disease outbreak or food safety concern, the ability to quickly retrieve information is crucial for effective response and containment measures. With eID systems, authorities can rapidly access relevant data from the centralized database, including the movement history of affected animals and their potential interactions with other livestock. This enables prompt action to be taken to mitigate the spread of disease and protect public health.
4. Supply Chain Transparency and Consumer Confidence: eID enhances supply chain transparency by providing accurate and verifiable information regarding the origin and movement of livestock. Consumers can have greater confidence in the safety and quality of the products they purchase, knowing that comprehensive traceability measures are in place. This transparency fosters trust between producers, regulators, and consumers, ultimately benefiting the entire livestock industry.

eID plays a vital role in improving traceability within the livestock industry by offering a range of benefits, including individual identification, accurate record-keeping, rapid information retrieval, and enhanced supply chain transparency. These capabilities contribute to a more resilient and sustainable livestock sector, safeguarding both animal welfare and public health.

What is eID?

Electronic identification devices (eID) allow individual identification of animals. The devices have a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) microchip, which has a distinctive 16-digit internal serial number, also known as an RFID number. When “read” by a handheld wand or panel reader, this RFID number can be electronically recorded. The RFID is linked to an external visual code (NLIS ID) that is the unique visual identifier for the tagged animal. Both the RFID serial number and the NLIS ID are connected in the NLIS database to uniquely identify individual animals.

Only devices accredited by Integrity Systems/ISC can be used in sheep and goats in NSW for eID purposes.

WHAT’S RFID?

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, and it is also referred to as Electronic Identification (EID).

An RFID ear tag carries a unique electronic identification number and allows animals to be electronically recognised and data stored automatically about each animal. The RFID is the “internal number” that you scan with your stick reader and the NLIS ID is the number printed on the tag. These two numbers are linked together on the NLIS Database and this information is uploaded to your PIC and NLIS Account when the manufacturer completes your order. 

On farm, an RFID system consists of:

• Tags: house the transponder that hold and sends the identification information
• Readers: energises the transponder of the tag and receives identification information
• Data Collectors: stores the identification information
• Data Processors: uses the information and provides outputs of data.

An NLIS electronic tag consists of 2 identifiers:

1. visual identification on the outside of the tag (the NLIS number), which includes the PIC
2. Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) number, which is the internal transponder number of the device.

The visually readable NLIS number, or NLIS ID, consists of:

• the 8-character PIC of the property on which the tag is to be used
• 3 characters coding to represent the manufacturer, device type (for example, whether the tag is a breeder or post-breeder tag), year of supply (using the Australian Breedplan alpha character for that particular year)
• a 5-character serial number (the first character may be a letter, except ‘I’ or ‘O’).

The following is an example of an NLIS number that might appear on an electronic NLIS (Sheep) breeder tag issued for use :

NA123456 X S H 00034

In this example:

• NA123456 — Property Identification Code
• X — Manufacturer
• S — Device type
• H — Year of supply
• 00034 — Serial number.

PIC list under the PIC

N – NSW

N – ACT

Q – QLD

W – WA

S – SA

M – TAS

3 – VIC

Manufacturer Code

Year 

2023 – U

2024 – V

2025 – W

2026 – X

2027 – Y

2028 – Z

Some quick Facts about the eID NLIS Approved tags

NLIS tags

There are 2 types of NLIS devices, also known as tags, used for the permanent identification of sheep and goats.

Breeder tags

Breeder tags are for identifying animals still on their property of birth. They can be any colour except pink.

It is recommended that coloured tags are attached according to what year the animal is born.

Post breeder tags

Post breeder tags are pink. These identify sheep and goats that have moved from their property of birth and:

• have lost their original tag
• it is impractical to record the birth PIC on movement documentation.

NLIS tags hold one of the following levels of accreditation with Integrity Systems (ISC):

• conditional accreditation, where tags are still being assessed as part of a 3-year field trial but are performing satisfactorily, or
• full accreditation, where the tags have completed their field trial and met the requirements of the national standards.

Print Type

Laser print only.

Each manufacturers has different print layouts that will allow for additional information on the tag such as Property Name or Sequential Number range

Colours Available

All year colours are available – refer to FAQs • Ear Tags Warehouse for the Sheep & Goat Year Colours

Manufacturers of eID NLIS Approved tags 

Allflex

Enduro Tags

Leader Products

Shearwell

Ztags

Style of Tag

All are a self piercing wrap around tag expect an Allflex Tamperproof eID Tag and the Enduro Sheep eID Tag

Goat or Sheep

All are both approved for Sheep and Goats except the Enduro – it is sheep only