NSW finally delivers on $1 tags for eID roll-out

The NSW government will today announce a discount program that will make $1 eID tags available, which is what industry has been calling for since the scheme was first announced in 2022 in response to the foot and mouth disease threat.

Producers will be able to access the discounted tags between November 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025, or until funds are exhausted for lambs and kids born in 2025 in the largest contribution by any state towards this reform.

The government reform, which will cost $2.1 million, has increased its commitment to $41m for the implementation of mandatory eID for sheep and goats.

It comes after a prolonged campaign by The Land for the government to commit to a producer tag subsidy.

The tag discount, which will be 76 cents per tag, will provide the discount to 2025 NLIS-accredited white eID tags when purchasing from the retailer, bringing the total cost in below the previously reported $5m to have a $1 tag subsidy in place in NSW for a year.

There will be limits on the amount of tags producers can purchase based on Local Land Services stock returns and relevant stock data.

Once the tag discount program is in place, producers will not have to complete any additional paperwork to participate in accessing discounted tags.

This follows the NSW sheep and goat eID rebate scheme, which provided funding to eligible primary producers, stock and station agents, saleyards and processors to help offset the cost of purchase and installation of eID-related equipment, through which nearly 1700 producers applied for the rebate to total more than $15m.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has incorporated feedback from the NSW sheep and goat traceability reference group on the design of the program to ensure it was as streamlined as possible.

Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the NSW government had invested more than any other jurisdiction in Australia to support the move to eID for sheep and farmed goats.

"To best support our producers and the cost of purchasing eID tags, this discount program will address the concerns we've heard from industry in relation to initial implementation costs," Ms Moriarty said.

"We continue to work with industry through the NSW Sheep and Goat Traceability Reference Group, providing a voice across the supply chain in the transition to mandatory eID."