Know your role in livestock dispatch

Livestock transportation is a necessity for the red meat industry. With facilities spread across the country, livestock must be transported safely and securely to ensure risks are managed, animal welfare standards are achieved, and a quality product is delivered.  

Transportation and assembly can increase the chances of stress or injury to livestock. When managed incorrectly, these factors can pose risks to food safety, animal welfare and consumer expectations. Ensuring livestock are ‘fit to load' is crucial, and correct documentation for movements is a legislative requirement. 

The Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) National Vendor Declaration (NVD) is the primary document for livestock movements – communicating the food safety and treatment status of every animal every time it moves along the value chain. The safe dispatch of livestock is one of the seven requirements for LPA-accreditation and must be evident in producer practice. 

Understanding animal welfare with transportation 

Based in Harden, NSW, owner-driver Di Peisley says the information contained within our NVDs is vital to the work of livestock transporters. 

“The NVD tells us a whole picture of the process – from place of pick-up right through to the livestock’s destination. It gives the time that they're being collected, the number of livestock and the integrity of your quality systems. Part of the NVD is LPA accreditation so you need to know about animal welfare, fit to load requirements and livestock preparation, and that flows right through the supply chain,” she said. 

To guarantee that livestock are fit for transport, producers are required to: 

• document and file LPA NVDs 
• document and file transport records 
• document animals that may have been exposed to physical contaminants such as broken needles, buckshot or wire. 

Producers should specifically meet the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines (Cattle, sheep and goats), as well as the accompanying Standards for the Land Transport of Livestock. This includes deciding whether an animal is fit to be loaded for transport for the entire journey, by road or rail, to any destination within Australia. 

“As livestock transporters, we need to know the species that we're loading and the condition of the livestock because there can be severe penalties.” 

Documentation and the importance of NVDs 

“Work, health and safety become involved, as well as animal welfare, so the need to maintain safety and documentation is reflected through NVDs throughout the supply chain. You need to complete an NVD every time you move livestock – simple as that,” Di said. 

To ensure that transportation is carried out in a safe and humane manner, it is important to keep detailed records of: 

• completed NVDs 
• name of transport operator and vehicle registration number  
• date and time of yarding and truck departure  
• records of feedback or complaints from processors or purchasers and any actions taken 

Di says the use of electronic NVDs has helped ease the process of transport preparation. 

“Quite often, NVDs are completed in a paddock, so sometimes they may not be very clear.  

“Producers need to check that the NVD is completed correctly, with all information included. Number of livestock, the time off feed and water, the destination and who they are consigned to.  

“In that case, the eNVD is a great option. It's online, it's quick, the information is automatic and all you have to do is just update your total numbers and your destination and who it is consigned to. It can be very easy and convenient.” 

“We're all in the supply chain and we all have a role to play in the supply chain, both in the domestic and international quality assurance of our product. It's important to get it right for the whole meat and livestock chain.”