Enabling better eID retention

Electronic identification (eID) devices are more than critical traceability and biosecurity tools – they provide opportunities for producers to transition herd management from a mob to an individual animal level.  

Following the mandatory adoption of eIDs for sheep and goats in Australia from 1 January 2025 – Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is now focusing on a new project funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) Livestock and Animal Traceability Development, Implementation and Improvement grant. The aim of the project is to: 

• investigate NLIS-approved electronic identification (eID) devices retention rates 

• understand the causes of eID device losses 

• explore strategies to enable greater eID retention for producers throughout the Australian goat industry. 

Who is running the project and who is participating? 

Goat producers across Queensland, NSW and SA were recently invited to contribute to this important research and be part of the project. 

Properties needed to stock at least 500 goats to participate. An estimated 20 properties are participating in the trial, delivered by AbacusBio on behalf of MLA and DAFF. 

The properties will have two on-farm data visitations by AbacusBio between October 2025 and March 2026 with results expected to be shared prior to 30 June 2026.   

Why is it important?  

With mandatory eID adoption, understanding and addressing tag loss is more important than ever. 

“Although National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)-approved eID devices go through strict approval processes, some producers report high tag loss.  

“We want to work with those producers to identify what’s causing the loss and explore how we can improve device retention,” said MLA’s Sheep and Goat Productivity Project Manager Dr Daniel Forwood. 

Producers’ involvement in this research will not only provide the first verifiable datasets for NLIS-approved eID device retention but will also provide invaluable insights to support producers to select preferred eIDs for their property.