7 September 2025 | 3-Min Read
With only a few months left until the new European Union Deforestation Regulations come into effect, I wanted to emphasise how important opting in to the new LPA Geolocation tool is for ALL Australian cattle producers – not just those who are EUCAS-accredited. By now, all LPA-accredited cattle producers will have received an SMS reinforcing this message.
This month’s feature explains why the impact on the leather and hides industry after 30 December could be significant if we don’t achieve a critical mass of producers opting-in to share the geolocation data in compliance with the EUDR requirements.
If you read the article, you’ll understand this will not only impact our EU hide exports but also our wholesale exports to other markets that supply the EU - with potential flow-on effects for both cattle producers and meat processors.
Given the lead times that exist across our red meat supply chain – particularly for producers sending cattle into feedlots – opting-in to the LPA Geolocation tool now will help ensure the wider cattle supply chain isn’t negatively impacted by the new EU regulations.
FMD Vaccine
In August, we saw a groundbreaking development in our future ability to manage foot and mouth disease (FMD), with the announcement that an FMD vaccine has been developed here in Australia.
While we have an excellent biosecurity record, this research demonstrates the Australian industry’s commitment to remaining proactive and prepared. Preliminary trials in Germany have shown the vaccine delivers a safe and effective immune response – the vaccinated cattle did not contract FMD when exposed to it and, importantly, they did not shed the virus.
State-based webinars
Our annual state-based webinar series wrapped up this week and I was delighted to see the strong response we’ve had to this year’s sessions. If you couldn’t make the live event, you can still watch the recordings and access the FAQs.
Goat webinars
Our colleagues in MLA are running a three-part webinar series, ‘From grid to consumer – building a consumer-oriented goatmeat supply chain’. The webinars will give producers greater insight into the different value chains and market pathways available.
Watch the first webinar to see a breakdown of Australia’s leading international exports by culinary diversity and key consumer preferences. Visit the program’s web page for more information or to register your attendance.
Please make sure you are using the correct NVD for your goat consignments
I wanted to remind our goat operators that we now have separate NVDs for both Goats and Harvested Rangeland Goats (HRG), both of which are available to purchase online or to use for free via the eNVD.
HRG consignments should not use the generic Goat NVD and should instead be using the HRG-specific NVDs for any future moves.
Ekka 2025 wrap
Last month, our team spent two days based in the Large Animal Pavillion during this year's Ekka Beef Week – providing many producers with a convenient opportunity to approach us and chat about the eNVD or ask about changes to our other programs over the past year.
It was another successful year of working with the Ekka’s Cattle Council to increase adoption of the eNVD amongst cattle competitors. As a result, we saw a massive improvement in the uptake of eNVDs overall, as well as a significant rise in the number of fully completed consignments with the producer’s signature.
There was also a big lift in the number of transporters submitting fully completed and signed eNVD documentation – this meant virtually every led steer going through to the processor was accompanied by a fully completed eNVD, which was a huge improvement on last year.
This is the second year we've worked with both the Brisbane Ekka and Sydney’s Royal Easter Show to help producers adopt the eNVD for their show animals, and I know our team has loved spending time on the ground meeting with and learning from our producers at both events.
Remote auditing process
You may be aware AUS-MEAT auditors can now conduct remote audits and some of you may have already gone through this process. We recently enhanced our remote audit portal to make it easier for producers to navigate, access relevant records, upload documents, and see or receive comments and/or requests from the auditor. This How-to guide explains the enhanced process which will benefit both producers and auditors.
MLA Updates
Before I close, I wanted to remind everyone that MLA Updates 2025 is heading to the Adelaide Convention Centre on 19 and 20 November. This year’s theme is Towards 2030: Driving prosperity through productivity, profitability and sustainability.
It’s shaping up to be a fantastic event, so if you’re able to make the trip, I’d really encourage you to attend – admission is free and you don’t need to be an MLA member to come along.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Integrity Matters.
Kind regards,
Jo Quigley
ISC CEO