-
Source: ONE News -
Related
The government has told farmers it will not commit to the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) system until after a second stage business study is completed in June for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The NAIT system - microchipping cattle and deer - is intended to protect access to export markets and ensure a faster response to any biosecurity crisis such as foot and mouth.
A discussion paper last year estimated the value from the system in the event of a serious disease outbreak at between $300 million and $524 million.
But farmers have said they fear the system could later be extended to also require tracking of sheep using radio frequency tags on ears.
Some farmers are also worried that tracking all animal movement between farms, saleyards and processors could eventually enable a government to calculate farmers' liability for greenhouse gas emissions from their livestock.
Biosecurity Minister David Carter has called for an end to scaremongering over the proposed scheme, and for emotion to be taken out of the debate.
Former Federated Farmers leader Ian Corney - the independent chairman of the joint industry and government NAIT project - was last year branded a "turncoat" when he fronted up to the federation's meat and fibre section to answer questions on the controversial scheme.
Corney formerly headed the meat and fibre section and was asked by the federation chief executive and its president to take on the NAIT role. But Federated Farmers spokesman Lachlan McKenzie said some of the claims made for the proposed system do not measure up.
McKenzie said it was claimed NAIT was going to make food exports a premium product living up to a clean and green image, but none of the major meat processing companies offered farmers a substantial price differential to adopt a voluntary animal ID system.
He criticised claims that Nait could speed-up re-entry to a market after a biosecurity incursion in New Zealand, but New Zealand had performed better in the South Korean beef market than Australia, which has compulsory animal identification.
A voluntary animal ID scheme aimed at proving the concept, systems and economic value to farmers, was the only logical way forward, he said.
Corney warned traceability systems such as NAIT were fast becoming a requirement for international trade in the face of increasing consumer demands to provide evidence that livestock products were free of disease and safe to eat.
"New Zealand is now playing catch-up with the likes of the European Union, Canada and Australia," he said.
New Zealand had world class food verification systems, but they did not provide lifetime traceability of individual animals.
The European Union requires its members to have computerised livestock tracing systems, and the World Organisation for Animal Health was calling for worldwide animal traceability and identification.
"And when you've got major meat buyers like McDonalds saying they expect life-time traceability as a condition of purchase, you've got to take notice," Corney said.
Carter said the business study to be released in June should answer concerns raised by Federated Farmers.
