Indications from one of NZ’s key export markets could see sheep included in the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme sooner rather than later reports Rural News. George Lyon, a Member of European Parliament for Scotland, has called on the European Commission to make it compulsory for countries from outside the EU to meet the same traceability standards as EU member states before imports are allowed.

Lyon says he wants the Commission to protect consumers and farmers from the threat of diseases, such as Foot and Mouth, by requiring non-EU states to enforce the same level of traceability as will be required across the EU when its electronic identification (EID) comes into effect early next year. ‘As of next year sheep farmers across Europe will be required to adhere to strict traceability rules. It is only fair that imports from other countries be required to meet the same standards.

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To avoid future costs, cattle farmers should consider using NAIT-compliant electronic ear tags when they tag livestock this year, says National Animal Identification and Tracing project (NAIT) chairman Ian Corney in the Rural News. The suggestion follows a recent move by the Animal Health Board (AHB) to approve NAIT-compliant tags as secondary tags under its national identification programme to control bovine tuberculosis in cattle and deer. ‘The great thing about the AHB move is farmers can avoid having to apply an additional ear tag to cattle to meet anticipated NAIT obligations,’ says Corney. ‘We’re asking cattle farmers to consider the approved electronic tags for newly born animals that will be alive in July 2011 – when NAIT is planned to become a regulatory requirement,’ he says. If the NAIT scheme is approved, RFID [radio frequency identification device] tags will become mandatory from 2011.Farmers could avoid the need to re-tag in 2011 if they start using the new technology this year.

However Federated Farmers is warning farmers not to purchase ear tags in anticipation of the proposed National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme. “We are concerned with comments made by the chairperson of the NAIT governance group urging farmers to purchase low frequency radio-frequency identification (RFID) ear tags,” says Lachlan McKenzie, Federated Farmers Dairy chairperson. “Aside from the fact NAIT is by no means guaranteed in its current guise, this makes no commercial sense whatsoever when many farmers have little or no farm income.

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Farming leaders fear NZ sheep farmers may be forced to electronically tag the country’s 34.2 million sheep now it will be compulsory for UK farmers to do so from January 1 next year reports The ODT. The Daily Telegraph has reported the EU has passed a law requiring all 30 million UK sheep to carry electronic identification tags (EID) so their movements can be tracked from birth to death. British farmers have vowed to fight the law. Ian Corney, the chairman of the body implementing an EID scheme in NZ for cattle and deer, said it was only a matter of time before it would be a requirement for sheep.

“I would have to say it was definitely on the horizon. We have seen Australia tagging sheep and the European countries moving into it.” EID tags have been a requirement for European sheep farmers since 2003, at a cost of $NZ270 million, and EID was being implemented to help contain an outbreak of exotic disease, such as foot-and-mouth. Federated Farmers meat and fibre section chairman Bruce Wills feared the requirement could be imposed on NZ. But if it was proposed, he would want to know why and what in-depth analysis had been done.

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About 40 farmers have made submissions on the proposed National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme which has proposed electronic chips be used to identify cattle and deer. Ian Corney, independent chairman of the joint industry / govt working group, said there had been a lot of interest in the proposal, and the submissions will help shape the system’s design reports stuff.

 Meat processors and animal product exporters made 13 submissions, and nearly 50 were from a variety of agricultural organisations and industry associations. Mr Corney last week told critics at a Fed Farmers meat and wool council meeting that the key to the system will be in ensuring strong farmer representation in its governance. Large meat exporters have supported the project, saying that individual traceback is likely to be required by key customers in affluent markets.