A 71 year old Clarkefield man has been fined $400, plus costs of $2579, after pleading guilty to dispatching 10 cattle to a saleyards, without proper identification.
The man pleaded guilty in the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court last week, after he was charged with dispatching 10 of 19 cattle, without being properly identified with National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tags.
Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Charles Milne it provided a timely reminder for farmers of the importance of meeting their legal obligations to identify their livestock.
“The NLIS is Australia's system for identifying and tracking beef and dairy cattle and is integral to providing and maintaining consumer confidence, at home and overseas, in the quality and safety of our beef and dairy products,” Dr Milne said.
“The NLIS enables cattle to be reliably identified and tracked from their property of birth to slaughter.”
“Compliance with the system protects the reputation of Victoria's cattle industry as a supplier of 'clean' wholesome beef and dairy products, providing a competitive advantage in domestic and export markets.”
The magistrate stated the NLIS is an important system and that the farmer in this case had accepted he had done the wrong thing.
Non-compliance with the legislation was a serious offence in that the consequences of non-compliance could result in real and far-reaching economic and market impacts.
“The traceability benefits of electronically tagging production animals would be invaluable should there be an emergency animal disease or residue incident, that’s why the department enforces mandatory use of NLIS e-tags in the cattle industry,” Dr Milne said.
More information about the NLIS can be found at http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/NLIS
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