Why do the NVD questions matter?

Question 3 on the LPA NVD for sheep and cattle refers to whether the owner has bred/owned the stock since their birth and is commonly filled in incorrectly.
It must be filled out with the minimum time stock have been in your ownership. You must not tick both boxes if you have both purchased and vendor bred livestock in your consignment.
If any stock in a consignment have been purchased, then the timeline refers to the most recent purchase and this then applies to the whole consignment, unless two separate LPA NVDs are used.

Livestock Production Assurance National Vendor Declarations (LPA NVDs) provide evidence of livestock history and on-farm practices when transferring livestock through the value chain.

Knowing how to complete an NVD so that it’s clear, complete and correct is essential.

The NVD is a legal document that guarantees the safety of red meat products and enables the traceability of those products along each link in the value chain. This system ensures market access, food safety and maintains the solid reputation of the industry in line with customer expectations.

Understanding why each of the questions on the NVD document are there is the key to knowing how to complete your consignment correctly, so you can stand by what you sell.

How do I answer the question if I have a mixed consignment?

If you have a mixed consignment of vendor bred and purchased livestock, you must tick no on Question 3 and select the time range that the purchased stock have been on your property identification code (PIC). Alternatively, if you can identify and/or separate the consignment you can use two NVDs – one for each group. In some cases there may be a marketing advantage in doing this. In this circumstance, the receiver needs to be aware that the consignment contains two separate groups as each group may have a different food safety risk.

Why is the time of ownership important?

The longer you have owned the livestock, the more knowledge you can provide about their exposure to physical and chemical contaminants. Most veterinary chemicals and pesticides break down to below acceptable levels within 60 days (approximately two months). If you have owned animals less than two months, then the risk of chemical residues is higher, as you were not responsible for them in this time and therefore cannot guarantee they have not been exposed to a contaminant.

Most processors are routinely checking that Question 3 has been completed correctly by cross-referencing the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) transfers of livestock they purchase. If an NVD states that animals have been owned since birth, or more than two months, but the NLIS transfer history indicates that this is not the case, then livestock can be rejected from a kill because they are a food safety risk.

The NVD is a legal document that is a signed declaration. It is underpinned by state legislation and non-compliance can result in severe penalties.

If you need to complete an NVD in a hurry, the eNVD system is available 24/7 to create a digital version of the NVD using a computer, tablet or mobile phone.