Young farmers are questioning their future in the sheep industry due to the government's mandatory roll-out of electronic identification (eID) tags for sheep and goats.
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It's been nearly a year since the NSW government mandated tags for sheep and goats, and farmers across the state have been left asking, "what's the next steps".
While a timeline and preliminary funding for processors and saleyards have been announced, there has been little other information delivered by the government about how much the system will cost and how it will be implemented.
Callan Schaefer, a fourth-generation wool producer at Fern Hill, Guyra, said he had spoken to many young producers who wanted to get out of sheep completely.
"Young ones that I thought would take over the family farm, that has been in the family for six generations, are trying to convince their parents about getting out of sheep," Mr Schaefer said.
"They refuse to have tags because they refuse to add the extra cost and extra work, and they are not going to do it."
While he has been using electronic tags in his operation for seven years for recording of singles and twins, Mr Schaefer said "every day" producers did not see a benefit.
"The issue I have is that there is no real benefit for the grass root producers who are the ones taking the full cost," Mr Schaefer said.
He said people were also concerned about the "shortest" time frame government had ever set to implement a program.
"Given our financial circumstances with the price drop of everything, bringing it in and setting it up now when the government has no business model is ridiculous," Mr Schaefer said.
"You have to build the aeroplane before you fly it."
Mr Schaefer said eID tags should not be mandated and should be on a benefits basis.
He added the government needed to put more staff on the NLIS system so they could handle the "process properly".
"Traceability is going to be worse now it's individual," he said.
"If they are saying they can't track the mob-based system, how are they going to do it individually, it's ludicrous. Also, if it hasn't worked with cattle, how will it work with sheep? If you can show me it works with cattle, I will be quieter.
"That's why I have opposed (eiD tags) the whole time because logically, to me, if it's not working now and then we are going to put so much pressure on the system, I don't know how they are going to implement as they don't have the staff now.
"The government has pushed this through and is saying it's not their issue, it's now on farmers and that it's the grassroots producers who are causing the problem so that you can take the cost.
"Farmers are trying to run a business, and with commodity prices dropping through the roof, it's an extra cost people can't afford."
