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Demystifying NLIS for goats

7 September 2009

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) now applies to goats and producers are urged to come to terms with what this means for them. NLIS is Australia’s system for the identification and tracing of goats for food safety, product integrity, biosecurity and market access purposes.

Margaret Piccoli, the Goat Industry Council of Australia’s representative to the National NLIS (Sheep and Goats) Committee, applauded the release of new information sheets that clearly define the obligations of goat producers and harvesters across Australia. “Whether you are in the business of harvesting rangeland goats or run Boer, dairy or fibre goats, or even if you only have a small number of goats, NLIS applies to you.

“Just what your obligations are does vary according to your circumstances. What is required of producers at a national level and on a state by state basis has been clarified in a series of information sheets.” Ms Piccoli said.

Ms Piccoli went on to say that, in essence, producers are required to know where the goats under their management have come from and where they are going.

This means:

  • All managed goats must be identified with an NLIS ear tag before leaving their property regardless of whether they are destined for a saleyard, abattoir, sale over-the-hooks (OTH) or another property with a different Property Identification Code (PIC).

  • All transported goats, not just managed goats but also rangeland or feral goats, must be accompanied by accurate and fully completed movement documents, usually a National Vendor Declaration (NVD).

There are some state-based exemptions or additional requirements for dairy goats, show goats and unmanaged goats and these are spelt out on the new information sheets.

Ms Piccoli said that the goat industry should be proud of the fact that it has evolved to become a mainstream industry and that as such, product integrity systems such as NLIS and the NVD, are just as important to the goat industry as they are to other major livestock industries such as the cattle and sheep industries.

Commenting on the reasons for NLIS, Ms Piccoli said that: “There are two clear reasons for NLIS – disease management and traceability.”

Using the goat meat export industry as an example, Ms Piccoli went on to say that: “Doing business without a system of traceability is just too risky for an ndustry that exports over 90% of its product.”

Media Enquires:

  • Margaret Piccoli
    Goat Industry Council of Australia
    Phone: 03 5455 4238

  • Peter Schuster
    Schuster Consulting Group
    Phone: 02 6887 3780
    Mobile: 0418 604 412

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