In a move to enhance Australia’s livestock traceability system, the Federal Government has granted $22.5 million to the Integrity Systems Company. This funding aims to bolster the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database and its associated mechanisms.
The grant, announced in the recent October Budget, is set to modernise the country’s system for capturing, storing, and distributing data related to livestock tracking and their movements. This modernisation is in response to evolving consumer and market demands.
The enhanced database will provide comprehensive traceability benefits for all animal species under the NLIS and is designed to accommodate potential future additions.
Agriculture Minister, Murray Watt, emphasised the importance of traceability in safeguarding and expanding Australian agriculture. He highlighted the NLIS’s pivotal role in ensuring top-tier livestock traceability, which is crucial for swift and accurate responses to potential emergency animal disease outbreaks.
Moreover, with a growing global demand for proof of origin and sustainability credentials for Australian livestock and meat products, this enhancement will further solidify and expand market access overseas.
The grant will also facilitate the development of a platform capable of integrating additional data from other systems. This integration will be instrumental in showcasing Australia’s agricultural standards and compliance with international market requirements, encompassing aspects like sustainability and animal welfare.
Minister Watt also touched upon the benefits for farmers and producers, noting that the revamped NLIS will simplify reporting processes, integrate with the electronic national vendor declaration system (eNVD), and offer transparency on livestock movements.
Jo Quigley, the acting chief executive of Integrity Systems Co, expressed enthusiasm about the grant, emphasising its transformative potential for the company’s integrity programs in the coming years.
She highlighted the grant’s role in ensuring a versatile data system that can adapt to the changing needs of the next two decades.
The project’s initial phase, which focuses on outlining the strategic requirements of the new database, has already commenced.
This phase aims to cater to current needs while also anticipating future market demands.
The development of the new platform will be a collaborative effort involving industry stakeholders and both state and federal governments.
The updated database will streamline processes for producers by aligning its functionality with the eNVD system and will be equipped to manage the vast data influx expected from the national implementation of sheep and goat electronic identification (eID).
Alan Beckett, the chairman of Meat & Livestock Australia, welcomed the collaboration between the Australian Government and ISC. He underscored the global recognition of Australia’s livestock traceability system and expressed optimism about the grant’s potential to fortify and modernise the traceability database.
This funding initiative is a segment of the Australian Government’s biosecurity package titled ‘Bolstering Australia’s biosecurity system’
