Thursday, 11 August 2022 11:55

Stock truckers to help MPI boost NAIT compliance

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
MPI says it is working with farmers and animal transporters to raise compliance. MPI says it is working with farmers and animal transporters to raise compliance.

Current compliance with tagging and registering of National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) animals sits at around 93%.

And the Ministry for Primary Industries is working with farmers and animal transporters to raise compliance.

MPI’s national manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance Gray Harrison has thanked the trucking industry for its support.

“We’re working in whatever way we can to continue to drive that figure up and we appreciate the support of the trucking industry to achieve that,” says Harrison.

“Truck drivers have a lot of interaction with farmers so it’s great they’re helping to carry this important message. The simple act of asking for a declaration gives people in charge of animals a good reminder of their legal requirement to ensure all NAIT animals are tagged and registered before they come on the truck.”

Last month MPI reminded farmers that transport companies are checking that all cattle and deer are tagged and registered under the NAIT scheme.

Under the NAIT scheme all cattle or deer must be fitted with a NAIT tag and registered in the NAIT system by the time the animal is 180 days old, or before the animal is moved off farm.

Harrison says transporting an untagged animal is an offence and transporters could be liable unless the truck driver has a declaration from the supplier stating the animals are tagged and registered.

“Under recently changed rules, livestock transporters can request a declaration as an alternative to physically checking for tags.

“This recognises that checking individual cattle for NAIT tags early in the morning when it is dark, ahead of a busy schedule of other stops, is easier said than done.”

Transporting New Zealand, which represents about 1,200 road transport companies that operate about 14,000 heavy trucks, is putting its support behind MPI to ensure NAIT compliance.

“We’ve encouraged all livestock transport operators to ensure they carry, or have access to, a completed NAIT Declaration to Livestock Transporter form when transporting cattle or deer in New Zealand,” says Transporting New Zealand general manager industry Dom Kalasih.

Harrison is reminding farmers that the NAIT scheme is a critical part of New Zealand’s ability to respond quickly to biosecurity threats.

“We take non-compliance seriously because of the potentially devastating effect these threats can have on industry and communities if we were unable to track and trace animals.”

Penalties in the NAIT Act recently increased tenfold to $100,000 for an individual, and up to $200,000 for a body corporate.

Harrison says while incurring one of these penalties could hurt the bottom line for individuals, the inability to trace animals can have far reaching and serious consequences for everyone.

“The NAIT tag and registration system is only as effective as the information entered in. If you are unsure about what you need to do, reach out. There is plenty of support available,” says Harrison.

NAIT Obligations During Calving

During calving season, you must:

Fit all calves with a NAIT tag before they reach 180 days old (the tag should be in the central or inner part of the right ear, between the 2 veins)

Register any fitted NAIT tags within 7 days of tagging

Tag and register all calves before their first movement. So if you are sending them off your location, make sure you meet your NAIT obligations.

If you’re buying calves

If you’re buying calves, confirm with the seller:

That they have completed an Animal Status Declaration (ASD) form

That the calves are tagged and registered in NAIT

What the calves’ TB status is

The NAIT number of the calves

Remember to record receipt of animals in NAIT within 48 hours.

If you're selling calves

Before you send your calves off-farm, make sure they’re tagged correctly and registered in NAIT. Using NAIT tags in numerical order will make them easier to enter into the system. Using secondary identification, such as birth tags, may also be helpful.

It’s an offence not to tag and register your calves, unless they are exempt from tagging.

For example, bobby calves (under 30 days old) going directly to slaughter from the property they were born on are exempt. If they move to another property before slaughter, you must tag and register them.

More like this

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an 8-hour marathon hearing.

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand dairy farmers.

'Gold Standard' live export plan

Live Export NZ (LENZ), the industry group behind reinstating live exports, says that in 2020 New Zealand exported $255.89 million of live cattle to the rest of the world.

Featured

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

Editorial: Passage to India

OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.

National

Govt urged to reduce ETS units

The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as…

Dairy sheep, goat woes mount

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand…

Machinery & Products

All-terrain fert spreading mode

Effluent specialists the Samson Group have developed a new double unloading system to help optimise uphill and downhill organic fertiliser…

Can-Am showcases range

Based on industry data collected by the Motor Industry Association, Can-Am is the number one side-by-side manufacturer in New Zealand.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Papal visit

OPINION: European farmers are going to extreme lengths to have their message heard.

Thai egg tarts

OPINION: The hustle and bustle of one of Bangkok's most popular fast food outlets may feel a world away from…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter