Don’t risk your value. Maintain lifetime traceability.

For red meat producers, market access and maximising value are a priority. Compliance with Australia’s traceability requirements protect these advantages by ensuring lifetime traceability is maintained as the animals move through the supply chain. 

Maintaining lifetime traceability 

If lifetime traceability is lost, the animal will no longer be eligible for key international markets and many Australian retail channels; and this will be reflected in its price. 

To avoid this, producers consigning stock to saleyards or abattoirs MUST ensure livestock are linked to the correct Property Identification Code (PIC) in their National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) account.

Maintaining your NLIS records 

When purchasing livestock from another producer, via an auction, or at the saleyards, producers should always confirm the livestock transfer has been completed in their NLIS account. 

This guide outlines the steps required to conduct a transfer in your NLIS account and, where another person undertakes the transfer on your behalf, how to check the transfer has been completed.  

When lifetime traceability is lost  

At the saleyard: When animals are consigned to a saleyard, a Transfer In movement is recorded in the NLIS which moves the animals from the producer’s PIC to the saleyard’s PIC.

Where an animal does not appear on the PIC it is being transferred from, a System Transfer is generated. If the animal is being on sold to a producer, this System Transfer means the animals have lost lifetime traceability.

 If the System Transfer isn’t rectified and the animal is sold to an abattoir without, lifetime traceability, it it will be ineligible for many international and domestic markets, significantly affecting its value. 

 At the abattoir: Where a producer sells directly to an abattoir, a device check will often be conducted to establish if the animal is listed on the correct PIC before processing – particularly if the abattoir supplies overseas markets or large Australian retailers.  

 If lifetime traceability is lost, the abattoir will note this on the animal’s grading and kill sheet, and the carcase will risk being priced down or allocated to non-premium markets as a result.