Ag ministers launch national food and fibre traceability strategy
Ag ministers have launched a national traceability strategy, while farm leaders work together on sheep and goat electronic tag transition.
A national food and fibre traceability strategy has been launched on Thursday by Australia’s agriculture ministers.
It comes as state farm groups have agreed to work together to help farmers transition to electronic tagging of sheep and goats, which mandatory nationwide in 18 months.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt launched the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy on Thursday, during a two-day meeting of the nation’s agriculture ministers in Perth. Mr Watt said better traceability systems will help Australian farmers “show where and how food was produced, bringing more value to their production”.
The 10-year traceability strategy is designed to help producers navigate changing regulatory environments, emerging technologies, climate change impacts, data-sharing demands and biosecurity and food safety concerns.
“These systems can help increase product value domestically and internationally and allows for produce movements to be tracked, in the event of a biosecurity outbreak,” he said.
It also aims to reduce regulatory burdens that currently involve a variety of costly and “disparate, duplicative and commercial requirements”.
The strategy document said the ability to verify claims and credentials along entire supply chains is becoming important for international trade and domestic retail access.
The National Livestock Identification System is already in place to trace cattle and other livestock along supply chains.
The Albanese Government has previously announced $100 million towards agricultural traceability systems.
FARM LEADERS HARMONISE SHEEP AND GOAT ELECTRONIC TAG TRANSITION
State farming groups on Wednesday agreed to work together on sweeping reforms to sheep and goat traceability made last year by state and territory agriculture ministers.
The impetus for all states to come on board with mandatory nationwide tagging from January 1, 2025, was the outbreak of foot and mouth disease on Australia’s doorstep, first in Indonesia and then in Bali.
However, according to NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin, each jurisdiction is currently working towards the mandatory implementation date with varying levels of state government support and within different frameworks.
“With such a big reform coming … we need state farm organisations talking and working together to secure the best possible outcomes for their members,” he said.
“We came together to see where the common ground was and to collectively take forward the needs of producers from a grassroots level.”
He also said that the cost of production for sheep and goat producers had increased significantly since the mandate was announced last year.
Victoria is currently the only state where electronic tags are mandatory while other states have been slow to follow their lead.
The farm groups, including the Victoria’s Farmers Federation, called for increased state and federal funding to help producers transition to eID requirements after a Livestock Traceability Report put the cost of the national rollout in the range of $350 million to $400 million.
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