eID tag count climbs by the millions

The figures are in for Australia’s sheep and goat industry uptake of electronic identification tags, as states and territories race to reach a national target.

Australia’s sheep and goat electronic identification devices have grown nearly one third, as states and territories race to reach a national target.

Each state and territory is responsible for its own eID rollout and implementing rebate schemes, after Australia’s agriculture ministers agreed to aim for mandatory eIDs nationwide by January 1, 2025.

Victoria made its commitment early, and finished its eID rollout in 2022, after a five-year rollout with producers buying more than 84 million eIDs.

Victorian producers now buy 10.5 million tags each year.

An Agriculture Victoria spokesperson said the system had matured and helped the state’s ability to respond to biosecurity threats.

The number of eIDs nationwide between January and August this year is up about 33pc for sheep and goats, compared to the same time last year.

South Australian producers have bought nearly three million tags in 12 months, with its tally sitting at 2,942,055 bought eIDs for sheep and farmed goats.

At Lowanvale, SA, Callowie Poll Merino stud principal Richard Halliday said he had used the tags for the past decade, after seeing the benefits in cataloguing rams pre-sale, and focusing on mob-based work.

In Western Australia, more than 3.77 million tags have been sold, and 92 funding applications granted for essential scanning equipment. It aims to have its full eID program in place by July 1, 2026.

In NSW, producers have already surpassed last year’s total of nearly 2.77 million tags, with 2,989,707 tags bought this year.

The state’s processors started scanning eIDs on July 1, and the NSW department had employed nine specialised staff to help reach the national target.

In Tasmania, producers had bought 465,487 tags this year, with a “phased staging” approach to tagging requirements, with a two-year grace period for older animals.

In Queensland, producers have ordered more than 228,790 tags for sheep and 16,252 for goats this year, to July.

An ACT government spokesperson said there was a “relatively small” number of producers in the ACT who were eligible for its rollout, and had approved two applications through its scheme to date.

The Weekly Times contacted the Northern Territory’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade but it did not respond by deadline.

Sheep Producers Australia independent traceability consultant Beth Green said general awareness had “certainly” increased.