Sheep running through the EID scanning system at the Bendigo saleyards.

VICTORIAN saleyards and abattoirs are continuing to scan electronic sheep and goat identifications at read rates of more than 90 percent, according to Agriculture Victoria.

The State Government told the industry late last year said it would move to a 90pc electronic tag read rate requirement for sheep and goats in saleyards and abattoirs from late March this year, because most centres were achieving rates close to 100pc.

Agriculture Victoria’s Michael Bretherton said the way in which the sheep and goat industries have embraced the change as Victoria continues its transition to an electronic National Livestock Identification System for sheep and goats should be commended.

“The support of Victoria’s producer, agent, saleyard and processing sectors during the transition to an electronic NLIS has been exemplary.

“Saleyards and abattoirs are scanning and uploading electronic NLIS tag details to the database at more than 90pc,” Mr Betherton said.

Agriculture Victoria said processors are also performing well in scanning and uploading electronic NLIS (sheep) tag details to the NLIS database at well over the current required performance level of 90pc.

Agriculture Victoria said it is continuing to work with any plants that may be experiencing intermittent technical issues.

Last week Agriculture Victoria reminded the state’s sheep and goat producers that if they receive and sell or move to another property 2019-born interstate sheep, they must must tag them with a post-breeder electronic NLIS (sheep) tag for the property they are being dispatched from.

Agriculture Victoria said it hasn’t seen many interstate lambs being put through the Victorian supply chain at this point in time. But the portfolio of the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions said it will continue to monitor saleyards and abattoirs to ensure animals are correctly tagged with either breeder or post breeder tags dependant on their place of birth.