Sheep & Goat eID | Integrity Systems

Australia has world-leading livestock traceability systems and a commitment to ensure they continue to meet and exceed future biosecurity needs.

In September 2022, federal and state agriculture ministers agreed to implement a nationally consistent individual electronic identification (eID) system for sheep and goats by 1 January 2025.

eID tags allow individual identification of animals. These devices contain a radio frequency identifier (RFID) microchip that can be read using a handheld scanning wand or panel reader.

It has been mandatory for all cattle nationally to be electronically tagged since 2005. Sheep and goats in Victoria have been electronically tagged since 2017.

The benefits of eID

Moving from visual tags to eID for sheep and goats offers a range of benefits including:

Strengthened biosecurity and traceability
Market access

Potential for animal specific carcase feedback
Enables an efficient, effective and targeted response to disease outbreak.

Sheep and goat eID is an opportunity for producers to enhance their business practices and market outcomes.

Sheep and goat eID implementation

To find out more about the national implementation, visit the Sheep and Goat Traceability Task Force (SGTTF) website: www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/policy/partnerships/nbc/sheep-and-goat-traceability-task-force

Tools & Resources

Ordering approved NLIS electronic devices for Sheep and Goat
The 5 whys on electronic identification (PDF) - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
How to transfer sheep and goats with electronic identification tags (PDF) - Integrity Systems
Harvested Rangeland Goats (HRG) accreditation
For goat owners - How to move stock OFF a pick
NLIS Standards (Integrity Systems) – roles and obligations of each stakeholder

Transition to Electronic Identification of Sheep and Goats in Victoria - Agriculture Victoria
Benefits of eID - Agriculture Victoria

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