Scanning an EID ear tag with a hand-held wand.

ELIGIBLE New South Wales sheep and goat producers can now apply for a 50 percent rebate up to a maximum of $1500 for a hand-held electronic tag reader, in the second round of a Minns Government program.

The government said the latest $2 million round in the EID rebate program comes on top of the strong uptake of the EID tag discount program, with more than 15.5 million discounted EID tags purchased under the program since November 2024.

Since 1 January 2025, more than 3.5 million electronic identification tags have been scanned at NSW saleyards, and in 2026 about 58.8 percent of sheep and goats moving through saleyards are already equipped with an EID.

Under current transitional arrangements, older animals are not required to have an individual EID until 1 January 2027. As younger, electronically tagged animals progressively replace older stock, overall uptake will continue to rise, the Minns Government said.

EID equipment rebate applications close at 4pm 31 August 2026 (AEST). Click here to make an application.

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said the government is encouraging all eligible producers to apply and make the most of this financial support.

“This funding helps sheep and goat producers, as well as livestock agents, offset the cost of meeting mandatory EID requirements and ease the shift to the new system.

“This program is vital in ensuring NSW producers remain global leaders in biosecurity and continue to secure premium access to export markets,” the minister said.

“We will continue working with producers, agents, saleyards and processors to implement EID in their operations.”

The NSW Government, with the support of the Federal Government, has committed $41 million to implement the federally mandated electronic identification for sheep and goats in the state – the largest funding commitment of any state or territory, Ms Moriarty’s media release said. The roll-out of the EID program is part of the Minns Government’s more than $1 billion biosecurity investment to protect and secure the state’s agricultural industries.