Improving Livestock Traceability - Options for the Live Export Industry
| Project start date: | 30 August 2015 |
| Project end date: | 02 May 2016 |
| Publication date: | 02 May 2016 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Sheep, Goat, Lamb, Grassfed cattle, Grainfed cattle |
Summary
Leakage from export supply chains undermines confidence in the Australian Livestock Export industry's ability to consistently deliver appropriate animal welfare outcomes for Australian origin livestock.
An extensive desk top review combined with personal interviews with Australian and international supply chain participants informed this research of the current and evolving modes of livestock identification and traceability in a global context.
Biometric technologies that enable 100% individual animal identification have been developed and are available in Australia but for commercial livestock remain too expensive and time consuming to administer.
A combination of existing RFID technology and sensing equipment with paint or dye markings, or ear inserts, will provide a robust identification and tracking system that can assure animal identification under the ESCAS compliance structure and will deter the removal of livestock from approved supply chains.
