Will your farm make the grade?

All Livestock Production Assurance (LPA)-accredited producers may be asked to participate in an LPA audit to ensure they are meeting the requirements of the program and can provide the evidence to demonstrate this.

If an LPA audit discovers that a producer's farm management practices do not comply with any of the LPA rules or standards, the producer may be issued with a corrective action request (CAR).
 
A CAR indicates that a non-conformance with the LPA rules or standards has been discovered within the producer’s on-farm systems, which has the potential to compromise food safety, biosecurity or animal welfare, or otherwise affect the integrity of the Australian red meat industry.  

Four of the most common CARs recorded include:

1. LPA National Vendor Declarations (NVDs) have not been completed correctly

LPA accredited producers must use the current version (0720) of the LPA NVD for all livestock movements between PICs, including between properties, to saleyards, or to processors.

It is crucial that you fill out the NVD so that it’s clear, complete and correct. If you are unsure, check out this video on completing an LPA NVD.

Completing consignments digitally using the free eNVD platform is an easy way to ensure all required fields are completed and that the details are easy to read. To complete an eNVD, log in to your LPA account and follow the instructions in the eNVD how-to video.

2. Livestock movements have not been recorded in the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database

Producers must ensure all livestock transfers between property identification codes (PICs) are completed on the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database.

In most cases, the buyer or receiver of livestock is legally responsible for completing the transfer on the NLIS database. Sometimes, however, the transfer is completed by an agent on behalf of a receiver.

Regardless of who completes the transfer, it is imperative that producers always check the transfer has been made on the NLIS database to ensure traceability is maintained. Producers should always obtain and record the upload ID for each transfer completed to ensure the transfer has been successful. For more information on completing NLIS transfers, visit the ISC website.

3. Livestock treatment records are incomplete

Records should be updated every time animals are treated with veterinary chemicals. Livestock treatment records must include:

• treatment date
• animal/mob identification
• chemical/drug used, including batch number and expiry date
• dose rate
• relevant withholding period and/or export slaughter interval (ESI) and date of expiry or date animal is first eligible for sale
• adverse reactions (if applicable)
• broken needle still in animal (if applicable).

Access a printable template for maintaining animal treatment records or download a complete LPA record keeping booklet to assist with your records. More information on safe and responsible animal treatments is available on the ISC website.

4. A farm biosecurity plan and/or property risk assessment is not available

LPA-accredited producers must have a formal, documented farm biosecurity plan and property risk assessment for each PIC and accreditation.

Farm biosecurity plans and property risk assessments can now be completed entirely online on your LPA account, rather than on a printed template. Farm biosecurity plans and property risk assessments must be reviewed and updated annually. Access ISC’s step-by-step guide to creating and uploading documents to your LPA account to learn how to complete these records online.

Producers are encouraged to review their on-farm practices against the LPA Guidebook, as well as the audit checklist, to ensure they are compliant with the LPA rules and standards. 

Read more information on the LPA program and LPA audits.