Taranaki farmer fined $15,000 for illegal NAIT tag swapping
A Taranaki farmer and livestock agent who illegally swapped NAIT tags from cows infected with a bovine disease in an attempt to sell the cows has been fined $15,000.
A mate of the Hound – a former technician and founder of an electronics business – reckons the NAIT system has many big flaws.
Firstly, he reckons the system’s passive RFID works by reflecting its code to the antennae of the reader, but the reflective device (inside the ear tag) is easily destroyed by high voltage. “This is well known in the RFID industry,” the Hound’s mate explains. “But not apparently by NAIT.” Meanwhile, he also reckons NAIT information relies on people updating the system – known as batch processing – as it occurs after an event. “This is old fashioned and obsolete as the system needs to operate in real time to be effective.” He also says the current NAIT model with its multiple levels of reporting and animal handling is a recipe for failure.
Farmgate beef prices remain at record levels and show no sign of easing.
Buyers trying to secure supply are keeping dairy prices at elevated levels.
Labour supply, and not geopolitical events, remains New Zealand dairy farmers' biggest worry, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Karl Dean.
Farmlands Co-operative has announced Rachel Aldikacti will be its new chief sales officer.
From 14th - 22nd March, Cornwall Park will play host to Farm Week, seven days of activities centred on farming, agriculture and the farm's heritage on the site.
Just four months after being declared clinically dead, Kiwi axeman Kahu Woolley is back on the chopping block this weekend - literally.

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