NVDs for sheep – take the time to do it right

With the sheepmeat market reaching record prices, producers are being reminded to ensure their documentation is correct when selling sheep.

Gabrielle Morrice, Narrandera district veterinarian with the Riverina Livestock Health and Pest Authority, says recent saleyard checks have found that a number of National Vendor Declarations (NVDs) are not being completed correctly.

"NVDs have been mandatory for sheep since 2006. The purpose of these forms is to enable accurate tracing of livestock in the event of an outbreak of disease or chemical residues of national or international significance," she said.

"If Australia has a major outbreak of a significant disease such as foot and mouth disease, the industry must be able to trace the origins of sheep as quickly as possible to minimise damage to our markets and prevent further spread of disease.

"Every minute will count and it will be essential to have an accurate and reliable tracing system. The NVDs linked to the animals’ Property Identification Code (PIC) number form the basis for this important tracing system."

Dr Morrice said despite increased awareness they were still seeing incomplete or incorrectly completed NVDs when conducting saleyard audits.

"The Riverina LHPA is currently issuing warning letters for incorrect or incomplete NVDs, and this will be followed up with fines if sheep owners continue to wrongly complete the NVDs," Dr Morrice said.

"The maximum penalty for incomplete or incorrectly completed NVDs is $11,000, which is relatively minor if one considers the potential costs to our sheep industry if we were not able to quickly and accurately trace diseased sheep and place our markets in jeopardy."

This advice follows the provision of information on the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS), sent to thousands of sheep and goat producers in April by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI). The NSW DPI, LHPAs and NSW Police Service’s Rural Crime Unit are also involved in a joint operation at major sheep and goat saleyards to crackdown on landholder and industry compliance with the NLIS.

For more information on NVDs contact your local LHPA office.

Media contact: Kylie Dunn 6391 3720 / 0428 465 378