NLIS cattle videos

The national livestock identification system protects Victoria's beef and dairy industries.

Robert Radford, Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC):

"Processes really value lifetime traceability so it's important for producers to identify their cattle correctly".

Correctly tag your cattle and make sure their movements between properties are registered on the NLIS database. This will maintain their lifetime traceable status and maximise their value.

Victoria leading the world in cattle identification.

Authorised by the Victorian Government Melbourne.

This is just a sample of the wide range of scanning systems now in use in Victoria.

They all help guarantee the safety of Victoria's beef and dairy products through the National livestock identification system and at the same time help producers, transporters and processors to maximise their efficiency and productivity.

The producer:

"We have an in-race reader in the main yard set up permanently and we've got a handheld wand.

NLIS enables us to readily draft large mobs of cattle on performance, whether it be the saleyards, feedlot and feedlots are very specific on their weight range, so we're able to hit the target reliably".

The transporter:

"On the back of the truck we've just got two rubber aerials which actually read the tags and there's another box above it which downloads it and sends it through to the laptop in the front.

We've got to run the cattle on the truck anyway, so when they run through the door they're scanned and we get extra revenue which is the cream on the job".

The saleyard:

"Our scanners are situated at the end of our weigh bridge. It doesn’t slow us up at all. We electronically read the button that's in the cattle’s ear and that information is then forwarded on to the NLIS.

You're able to do your reports with a lot more accuracy and a lot more confidence.

As I say right from the time they entered the saleyards, at the time they leave the saleyards for the time they end up at the abattoir".

The processor:

"We can guarantee consumers, our overseas customers and our Australian customers, the product that they get from Victorian meatworks to have a full traceability system and consumers are a lot more comfortable to be eating a product that they know we've got traceability rules.

There’s no other system in place in the world that could match what we're doing here in Victoria".

With the NLIS, Victoria has become the world leader in electronic cattle identification and information and management in saleyards.

A good example of the NLIS at work can be seen at Warrnambool saleyard.

Here a highly efficient process that utilises state-of-the-art reading technology and software is used to seamlessly manage the flow of cattle and data.

Paul White, Warrnambool Saleyard Manager:

"The flow of cattle is very important, and we don't seem to have any trouble with flows, whether it be an open auction cattle or whether it be weighed.

We've been able to put in place a system that from track to truck gives us an easy flow and we can actually trace and track the cattle as they go through the saleyard if we wish".

To finalise the sale the system exports movement details to the NLIS database and commercial data to the selling agents and buyers.

"We as a saleyard are already looking at ways of electronically booking the sale of electronic transfer of information both to agents and buyers pre and post-sale. So, I think certainly that's the way to go" said Paul.

It's a simple but powerful process and NLIS technology has also successfully applied at other Victorian saleyards.

The national Livestock identification scheme or NLIS, offers a highly efficient identification system which helps provide accurate and prompt control of our livestock, meat and dairy products, if any disease contamination or quality defects are detected.

Whole of life traceability. It's becoming a non-negotiable requirement that Victoria is more than ready to meet.

It commences on an animal's property of birth with the insertion of an ear tag containing a microchip encoded with unique and alterable number.

Details about cattle identified with these tags including ownership changes and information that may affect their suitability for human consumption, are recorded on a national database managed by Meat and Livestock Australia.

All Victoria's cattle processors now have fully operational NLIS reading systems to enhance inspection.

Victoria is leading the world in the implementation of this best practice identification system.

Our beef and dairy industries are committed to meeting the requirements of our most demanding customers for high-quality food that is natural, safe and with proven integrity.

Choice Victorian beef and dairy product guaranteed by the National livestock identification scheme.

All Victorian producers receiving NLIS identified cattle directly from another property are legally required to register the movement of every animal on the NLIS database.

Ken Jorgensen, Livestock transporter:

"To fit the system on the truck was pretty simple. We just worked with the equipment we had and it all bolted in pretty easy. We've had no problems with it. Very easy to use. We back into the ramp switch the scanner on, open the door and then the cattle run on.

On the back of the truck we've just got 2 rubber aerials which actually read the tags and there's another box above it which downloads it and sends it through to the laptop in the front".

The system works equally well with loading or unloading, so Ken can use it at both ends of a trip when he has multiple pickups and unloadings.

‘I've got to run the cattle on the truck anyway so when they run for the door they're scanned and we get extra revenue which is the cream on the job’, said Ken.

The system used by Kenny Jorgensen costs a maximum of $8,000.

It's just one of a number of options available to livestock transporters.

Helping meet the new NLIS recording requirement for cattle transfers and helping you add value to your business.