National Livestock Identification System
Link to Meat and Livestock Australia Website www.nlis.com.au
History of livestock identification and traceability
In the 1960s Australia introduced a cattle-tracing system as a means to assist the bovine Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign (BTEC). The system was based on a unique identification number that was aligned to each farm (parcel of land).
The tag identification number, known as the Property Identification Code (PIC), was eight digits in length, with the number accommodating a state identifier, a region prefix and an individual property number relating to that region.
All Australian states introduced legislation that underpinned the use of the PIC. The result was that the application of a tail tag or transaction ear tag became a mandatory requirement for all cattle sales and transfers of ownership.
Over time, this system became the enabling instrument for surveillance of residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals and monitoring in addition to disease surveillance and monitoring.
The National Vendor Declaration (NVD) was introduced in 1996, which provided a food safety/product integrity consignment note attesting to the fitness-for-purpose of a given consignment of cattle.
From its inception the NVD has been linked to the consignment by the PIC. Official government requirements mean that a separate NVD and tagging system is required for some markets.
| 1960s | Vinyl wrap around tail-tag invented and trialled BTEC Committee established |
Need for improved ID & traceability
The global trend in traceability
Recent livestock disease incidents around the world have caused Australia's major customers and competitors to look more closely at improved traceability systems.
International developments include:
- Canada has implemented a mandatory individual ID and has decided to adopt permanent Radio Frequency Identification tags from 1 January 2005.
- Uruguay has had an individual traceability system for exports to EU since 2001. Uruguay has decided to trial an "improved" system. It involves double tagging of cattle (a visual tag and an electronic tag), and recording of movements on a central database.
- The EU already has an individual animal passport system.
- Japan has individual ID through the supply chain.
- The US is currently considering a full individual animal ID proposal. A new draft of the USA Animal Identification Plan has been released with the objective of "48-hour" traceback.
- Brazil has an individual animal scheme for EU and is aiming to extend their program to around 85% of the herd by December 2004.
Market demand for improved traceability
In the late 1990s the European Union demanded a 'closed system' for HGP- free cattle destined to that market and that the animals be whole-of-life traceable. The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service developed the European Union Accreditation Scheme to accommodate the EU demands. Details can be found at the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry web site. An exclusive EU NVD linked to lime-green tags was developed.
Radio frequency (RF) tag technology was introduced as the mechanism to comply with the whole-of-life identification demands of the EU. The program designed to satisfy the Europeans was called the National Livestock Identification System.
The Primary Industry Ministerial Committee
The Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) agreed in April 2003 to the implementation of a risk based approach to a national system for livestock identification and tracing.
The proposed national system includes the use of a range of identification devices based on the complexity of animal movements.
The proposed system is based on the National Livestock Identification System for cattle and the National Flock Identification System for sheep, however it also includes herd and flock based identification mechanisms, provided they permit livestock to be traced back and traced forward in a timely and accurate manner, as determined by the National Traceability Performance Standards (currently being finalised).
PIMC decided that the new national system be known as the National Livestock Identification System (Cattle) or National Livestock Identification System (Sheep), as appropriate.
It is anticipated that the Scheme will be expanded to address all relevant livestock species over time.
Livestock Identification and Traceability Policy Paper
This paper identifies Animal Health Australia's position in relation to animal identification and traceability. In stating this position, Animal Health Australia wishes to engage stakeholders in Australia's livestock industries in addressing the need for these schemes to meet national animal health objectives.
Click to view the
NLIS Policy Paper - March 2009 (163 KB)
National Traceability Performance Standards
The 'National Traceability Performance Standards' were endorsed by PIMC in May 2004. These performance standards are a result of consultation with State and Territory technical advisors. It is envisaged that all States and Territories will aim to meet these standards. Annual audits will be undertaken by Animal Health Australia as a process for continual improvement. It must be noted that it will take some time for the Performance Standards to be met as the introduction of NLIS has only recently occurred.
National Traceability Performance Standards
| Applicable to all FMD susceptible livestock species1 | |
| 1.1 | Within 24 hours of the relevant CVO2 being notified3, it must be possible to determine the location(s)4 where a specified animal was resident during the previous 30 days. |
| 1.2 | Within 24 hours it must be also possible to determine the location(s)4 where all susceptible animals that resided concurrently and/or subsequently on any of the properties on which a specified animal has resided in the last 30 days. |
| Applicable to cattle only5 | |
| 2.1 | Within 48 hours of the relevant CVO2 being notified3, it must be possible to establish the location(s)4 where a specified animal has been resident during its life. |
| 2.2 | Within 48 hours of the relevant CVO2 being notified3, it must be possible to establish a listing of all cattle that have lived on the same property as the specified animal at any stage during those animals' lives. |
| 2.3 | Within 48 hours of the relevant CVO2 being notified3, it must also be possible to determine the current location4 of all cattle that resided on the same property as the specified animal at any time during those animals' lives. |
| Applicable to all FMD susceptible livestock species except cattle (lifetime traceability excluding the preceding 30 days - addressed by 1.1 and 1.2 above) | |
| 3.1 | Within 14 days of the relevant CVO2 being notified3, it must be possible to determine all locations4 where a specified animal has been resident during its life. |
| 3.2 | Within 21 days of the relevant CVO2 being notified3, it must also be possible to determine the location4 of all susceptible animals that resided concurrently with a specified animal at any time during the specified animal's life. |
Notes:
1. For the purposes of these Standards, 'FMD susceptible species' means cattle, sheep, goats, and domesticated buffalo, deer, pigs, camels and camelids.
2. 'The relevant CVO' means the State or Territory Chief Veterinary Officer, or their delegate, in the jurisdiction where the specified animal is located or has been traced to.
3. For the purposes of these Standards, the term 'notified' means the relevant CVO is aware of an incident that required tracing.
4. 'Location' means any definable parcel of land including (but not limited to): any parcel of land with a Property Identification Code, travelling stock routes, saleyards, abattoirs, feedlots, live export collection depots, show grounds, Crown land and transport staging depots.
5. Given the risks posed by BSE, it was considered appropriate to establish separate Standards for cattle.
The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)
NLIS is Australia's system for the identification and tracing of livestock. State jurisdictions have identification options based on a set of National Traceability Performance Standards that take into account the risk associated with animal movements.
Tracing of livestock movements that do not involve the interaction of different herds or flocks pose little risk. An example of a movement that has minimal risk may be where an animal moves from the property it was born on directly to the abattoir.
In this case the use of a transaction ear tag or tail tag applied to individual livestock in the mob or flock may be appropriate for a jurisdiction to meet the National Traceability Performance Standards.
Tracing of livestock through points where multiple animals from different locations come together, and are then moved to different locations, is more complex.
Using the transaction ear tag or tail tag in conjunction with the NVD under this scenario requires sifting through NVD records held in files on-farms and at saleyards. The accuracy and speed of these tracings would most likely not meet the National Tractability Performance Standards.
Under this scenario NLIS provides the facility for cattle to be electronically identified at the property of birth or dispatch and the transaction to be electronically recorded at the saleyard and at the time of slaughter. Movements between properties can also be electronically recorded in a secure central database.
When integrated with post slaughter tracking systems, the NLIS database allows for rapid and accurate tracing of cattle in the event of a disease outbreak or residue incident.
How does the radio frequency component of the NLIS work?
NLIS provides the option for using machine-readable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices to identify livestock.
NLIS endorsed devices come in the form of an ear tag or rumen bolus/ear tag combination. Each device contains a microchip encoded with a unique number linked to the PIC of the property of origin. Livestock are tagged with NLIS devices only once in their life.
Livestock identified with NLIS devices can be electronically read as they move through the livestock chain. At time of reading, each owner's PIC can be recorded and linked to the NLIS device. This transaction information is then stored in the secure central NLIS database.
Once full transaction recording is in place, a life record of an animals' residency, and which animals it has interacted with, will be established. It is this centrally stored electronic history of an individual animals' residency that will enable rapid and accurate traceability.
The NLIS Database
The NLIS database is the central repository for electronically recorded movements.
During 2002-2003, the database serviced the needs of almost 30,000 properties, 12 feedlots, 64 saleyards and 57 abattoirs.
Over 1 million cattle movements were recorded including over 740,000 individual cattle movements from property of origin and 260,000 cattle movements via 3000 sales through saleyards.
Over 3,000 carcase feedback file uploads were made available to producers via the NLIS database from processors. Uploaded in an industry standard file format, producers are able to download this information and link it to individual animal performance data recorded on-farm.
Less than 24 hours unscheduled downtime and 13 hours scheduled downtime was experienced by the database during the 2002-2003 period, whilst the NLIS Helpdesk received and resolved over 3,000 stakeholder enquiries.
The Extended Residue Program database has been operating as part of the NLIS database since January 2001. Over 72,000 animal health status enquiries from saleyards and processors were made during 2002-2003.
Roles and Responsibilities
NLIS policy
NLIS is a SAFEMEAT program - the industry government partnership responsible for meat safety. Industry with government work together to develop policy and make decisions that are in the best interest of all parties.
Legislation
State governments have a role in controlling stock disease and residues under various Stock Disease Acts. Any regulatory requirements associated with the NLIS would be incorporated into these Acts and their implementation is the responsibility of the state authorities.
Service delivery
Meat and Livestock Australia has been instructed by Industry to administer the NLIS database. Meat and Livestock Australia also plays a crucial role in providing Information tools, training and technical support, and running demonstration sites and workshops designed to assist users better understand and get the most out of the NLIS.
Page Updated: 11 May 2009