A state government package will struggle to deliver traceability reforms mandated for sheep and goat producers, NSW Farmers has warned.
On Thursday NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty announced a $2 million package to provide discounts on eID equipment, but not devices - leaving farmers to foot the bill for eID tags for use on lambs and farmed kids across the state.
NSW Farmers' President Xavier Martin said it was disappointing to see Minister Moriarty had not answered the call for the eID tag discount scheme to continue as farmers faced soaring costs to implement the eID system.
"We wrote to the state government back in October to request an extension to this eID tag discount scheme, but our calls for investment to reduce the costs and imposts of this transition have been left unanswered, once again," Mr Martin said.
"Just 22.4 per cent of sheep and goats coming through NSW's saleyards last year had eID tags, and so it's clear we need some serious investment to ensure compliance.
"We've got less than a year until eID tags are mandatory for all sheep and farmed goats, and as input costs outstrip inflation, farmers are fighting an uphill battle to front up for the costs of this government mandate."
As well as the reinstatement of the eID tag discount scheme, Mr Martin said a series of other measures - such as eID tag free pathways for sheep moving from their property of birth direct to slaughter - must be delivered if the traceability scheme was to succeed.
"This is supposed to be about improving Australia's biosecurity systems, but unless we see jurisdictional harmonisation coupled with serious and continued investment for compliance, we have no confidence this scheme will succeed," Mr Martin said.
"For now, it's back to Macquarie Street for NSW Farmers, where we'll once again advocate for what's really needed to move forward with this traceability mandate. "It's clear that those in Parliament are not listening to those in the paddock, and that needs to change."
