How are we going to meet the timeline for the electronic identification (eID) tags for sheep and goats?
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How is infrastructure and tags going to be funded?
And who is going to foot the bill?
These are just some of the questions industry wants to know about what the government's plan is for eID.
"For every day moving forward, the challenge will be how are we going to meet the timeline," said Australian Livestock Markets Association (ALMA) vice president Paul Martin.
While ALMA's position supports the mandatory implementation of eID under a fully-funded model, Mr Martin said the detail was lacking, and no additional funding was announced other than the preliminary round for saleyards and processors.
Related reading: Clock is ticking of eID reforms
In December 2022, industry was advised that grants of between $5000 to $15,000 were available for saleyards and processors in NSW to plan and prepare for required changes to implement eID for sheep and goats.
"We are in a state of flux between the agreed timeline, change of government and uncertainty of any funding made available at all," Mr Martin said.
Mr Martin said it was evident the sector could not afford the compulsory mandate of eID without funding as the capital costs from software and hardware to civil works and infrastructure would be significant.
"Without government assistance in this space, it will be unattainable for industry participants," he said.
"I feel for producers at this point in time as everyone talks of benefits in increased traceability for the sector, but without an accurate cost, you can't work out what or how it needs to be done."
Figures from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) show that based on the applications received for the preliminary round of grants, $167,000 has been distributed to saleyards and processors.
In the breakdown, 17 saleyards out of 23 across the state have been allocated a collective $117,000 while five processors from 15 in NSW were given the remaining $50,000.
The grant amount made available for individual saleyards and processors depended on their size - specifically a five-year average number of head per year that the saleyard or abattoir processed.
The grant supports saleyards and processors to undertake planning and design activities, including engaging a project manager and/or consultant to develop a costed estimate for hardware, software and structural modifications along with operational requirements.
A DPI spokesperson said all saleyards and processors in NSW were contacted about applying for the grant.
"The grant is for businesses within the processing and sales part of the supply chain to better understand what is required to be changed to comply," the spokesperson said.
Saleyards and processors have six months to complete the planning work and all grant recipients are to provide the planning and design information they obtained to the DPI.
