Garry Edwards

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• Garry Edwards
• Livestock Exchange Pty Ltd
• NLIS The Australian Experience
• ID INFO CONFERENCE - CHICAGOSeptember 2005

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Background Information

• Australia is a NET Beef Exporter
• National Cattle Herd is approx. 26.5 million head
• Diverse production systems and environment
• Intensive and Extensive Grazing, Feedlotting
  Dairy
• Low cost production systems
• No Government subsidies
• EU market access demands in 1990s

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Cattle Numbers
TOTAL 2003 Cattle No.s
NT 1.68 Million
QLD 10.75 Million
WA 1.95 Million
SA 1.40 Million
NSW 5.82 Million
TOTAL 26.66 Million
VIC 4.39 Million
TAS 0.68 Million
Source Australian Bureau of Statistics
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Traceability Systems pre NLIS

• Mob based identification since 1960s
• Tail tag / NVD, waybills etc
• Branding / earmarking
• Strong from point of depasturing to slaughter
• Relied on paper records held on-farm at saleyards
  and at processing plants

Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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NLIS vs Tail Tags and NVDs
Tail tag and NVD strong to point of last residence
Probable end of tail tag and NVD trail in most
cases
Limit of 100 accuracy of tail tags and NVDs
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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Why have a NLIS?

• Global trend towards animal traceability systems
• Facilitate market access
• Consumers are concerned about food safety
• NLIS can reduce incidence and impact of disease
  outbreaks and residue incidents
• Enhances management of animal health incidents
• Government study estimated an FMD outbreak to
  cost Australia 2 13 Billion Retail Recall

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Global trend in individual animal ID
Ireland
Canada
UK
Europe
Korea
USA
Japan
Botswana
Brazil
Australia
Uruguay
New Zealand
Argentina
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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NLIS In Australia

• Introduced on a voluntary basis - January 1999
  (Cattle)
• Incorporates features of existing traceability
  systems Tail Tags and NVDs
• PIC Property Identification Codes
• National program agreed to by industry and
  government
• Legislative underpinning by States with
  complimentary legislation
• Utilises ISO compliant RFID Technology (HDX)

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• ICAR Numbering System utilises manufacturers
  code format
• Devices are field tested Retention and
  Readability - up to 3 years
• Read performance tests min. 1.2m
• Accredited by an independent technical committee
• Manufactured under license once accredited
• Devices/Animals are recorded on a centralised
  database operated by Meat Livestock Australia

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NLIS Implementation Stages
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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Key Components of the System

• Radio frequency identification (RFID)

• Ear tags and boluses

• RFID readers Handheld and Race

• NLIS database website interface

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Devices
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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Animal 1
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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Animal 2
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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Radio Frequency Identification Number (RFID)
971 000003273014
Manufacturer Code
Tag Number
982 Allflex 971 Aleis 964 Rumitag 951
Leader 942 Zee Tags

• Unique global identification number

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NLIS ID (External Number)
PropertyIdentification Code
Management Number
3ABCD123 L B A 00002
Manufacturer Code E Aleis K Austock / Zee
Tags L Leader M Rumitag Q Animal Life X
Allflex
Device Type B Breeder Tag E Post Breeder
Tag C Breeder Capsule F Post Breeder Capsule
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NLIS Animal Record Format
3GKRT011, 971 000003273014, 3ABCD123EBW00002, Y
PIC (Current Location)
RFID
NLIS ID
EU Status Y Yes N No B Bull D Deceased
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Whole-of-chain Involvement

• Individual animals read at each transaction point
• Traceability from birth to slaughter via NLIS
  Database

NLIS Database
NLIS device manufacturer
Producer(breeder)
Producer or Feedlot

• Saleyard

Processor
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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NLIS Database
Device Manufacturers
- Upload device info to PICs
Producers
State Dept of Agriculture
- Transfer Cattle - View Tag Numbers
- View Carcass Data
- Inquiries - PIC
Uploads - Auditing
Processors
National Residue Survey

• t/f kill information- t/f carcase information-
  make inquiries

• Set ERP Status- Information- Inquiries

NLIS / ERP Database
Third Parties
Saleyards
On Behalf of Producers- Transfer Cattle- View
Tag Numbers- View Carcass Data
- Inquiry- Take Possession- Sell Possession

Feedlots
Agents
- Transfer Cattle- View Tag Numbers- View
Carcass Data
- Individual Inquiries
Auditors
- Request Audit Reports(Tag movement based on
PIC)
Source Meat and Livestock Australia
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Industry Take Up
Abattoirs Saleyards Feedlots Properties
NSW 29 93 32 21,572 VIC 48 88 9 41,931 QLD 92
83 92 5,620 SA 46 16 16 6,862 WA 10 39 12 2,567
TAS 6 15 1 3,511 NT 0 1 0 95 231 251 162 82,1
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Source Meat and Livestock Australia
Figures as at September 2005
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Current Statistics

• 28.8 million devices recorded on database
• Average of 40,000 transfers per day
• Over 5 million new devices recorded since 1 July
  2005
• 130 processing plants accessing NLIS database
  daily and uploading carcase data

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Producer Systems

• Automated field data capture
• Liveweight scale systems
• Data collection readers
• Herd management software
• Handheld PDA systems and software - Bluetooth
• Enhanced management practices and decision making
• Automated Livestock Handling
• Electronic Carcase Feedback from NLIS Database

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Handheld Data Collection
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Producer Reader 1
Source Livestock Exchange Pty Ltd
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Producer Reader 2
Source Aleis International
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Producer Reader 3
Source Allflex Australia
Source Allflex Australia
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Weighbox
Source Aleis International
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Feedlot
Source Allflex Australia
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Feedlot 2
Source Thompson Longhorn Pty Ltd
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Saleyards (Stockyards)

• Enhanced Data Collection and Processing
• Automated Livestock Handling
• Direct interface to the NLIS database
• Minimal impact on rate of commerce
• Reading systems in use
• Wand Readers,
• Panel Readers and
• Multi-Animal Reading Systems

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Saleyard Data Collection
Source Livestock Exchange Pty Ltd
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Saleyard Auction
Source Livestock Exchange Pty Ltd
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Saleyard Reader 1
Source VLE Pakenham
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Saleyard Reader 1A
Source Allflex Australia
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Saleyard Reader 2
Source Aleis International
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Saleyard Reader 3
Source Aleis International
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Saleyard Reader 4
Source Aleis International
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Abattoirs (Processors)

• Individual Pre-processing clearances
• Carcase feedback uploaded electronically
• Direct interface to the NLIS database
• No throughput or labour losses automated
  reading
• Reading systems in use
• Wand Readers
• Panel Readers

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Abattoir 1
Source Allflex Australia
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Abattoir 2
Source Aleis International
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Abattoir 3
Source Aleis International
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Entire traceability system
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Disease management and traceability of other
species

• National Flock Identification Scheme (NFIS
  Sheep) introduced in 2002
• Permanent whole-of-life ID for sheep and lambs
• Systems being developed for other species

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Benefit of Hindsight

• Implement Infrastructure before release of
  devices
• Certify Readers for suitability of use ability
  to read accredited devices at required distances
• Centralise State Property (farm) Registrys
  earlier
• Coordinate State based rollout
• Increase support resources

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Strengths of Australian System

• Devices tested against a performance standard
  both readability and retention
• Use of manufacturers code - uniqueness
• Central Database independently operated
• Development of New Technology
• Ability to electronically record animal movements
• Faster and more accurate traceability can reduce
  economic impact

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Are there any Questions?