Following on from the national commitment to transition to electronic sheep eID, Sheep Producers Australia agreed to investigate options for developing and maintaining a national tag tender and procurement system to provide low-cost, incentivised eID tags for Australian sheep producers.
Sheep Producers Australia commissioned an extensive, national consultation process involving stakeholders from across government, manufacturing, retail and producer representative groups.
Andrew Spencer Sheep Producers Australia Chair said the Board agreed it was critical to carry out this consultation to look at existing systems rather than spending time and money developing a potential model before fully grasping the risks and complexities involved.
“It was important for the consultation to be thorough and done properly, and thorough consultation takes time.”
Consultation considered complexities and stakeholder views on existing and potential NLIS tag tender and procurement systems.
The feedback from stakeholders indicated a high level of risk for Sheep Producers Australia or an industry body attempting to establish a national system in a densely populated and mature NLIS tag market, particularly if participation was voluntary.
“The Board reviewed the report and, taking into account the key findings and feedback from consultation, concluded that the organisation will not continue to pursue any further investigations into this project,” Mr Spencer said.
“We remain committed to the implementation of national harmonised traceability for sheep and will continue to advocate for additional transitional support for producers.”
-Sheep Producers of Australia