Navigating 'click & collect' livestock selling

• no limits to the space required to house the animals being sold, as with some platforms, they remain on the property until sold
• no time limits for sale for platforms, as again, animals are held on-farm until sold
• greatly reduced stress on the animals as in some instances, transportation is reduced
• a reduction in biosecurity threats as there is less interaction with other animals where animals are sent from farm to farm/processing
• less time and travel required by the purchaser, who can bid and buy from their kitchen table

All that said, saleyards still exist and are expected to be around for some time to come. Some of the online platforms broadcast from the saleyards and allow buyers from some distance to purchase stock from the yards in real-time without a trip to the market.

Many of the different online selling platforms have different target audiences, cover different classes of livestock and sell via different mechanisms. They all have their place in the market. Some examples of online selling platforms in Australia are:

• AuctionsPlus®
• Stocklive
• Elite Livestock Anctions
• Farmgate
• Cattlesales.com.au
• The Herd Online

“Collect”

The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) is Australia’s system for identification and traceability of cattle, sheep and goats. The NLIS system is used for biosecurity and food safety purposes to ensure that any issues are about to be identify and traced. NLIS protects the disease-free status of Australian red meat and underpins the marketing of our product as clean, safe and natural.

Changes to the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) NVD in 2020 provided an easier, more efficient and cost-effective way for producers and supply chain stakeholders to interact with the integrity system.

The changes included:

• updated NVD versions (0720)
• release of a new electronic National Vendor Declaration (eNVD) system
• decommissioning of the eDEC system.

The mobile-friendly, more user-centric version of the electronic National Vendor Declaration (eNVD) system is available for LPA accredited producers, feedlots and value chain stakeholders. The eNVD allows you to:

• Save time by only answering questions once
• Pre-populate your regular consignments
• Print at any time and complete at the yards if needed

Database transfers

Each time livestock are moved off a PIC, a livestock movement must be recorded on the NLIS Database.

The information required to record a livestock movement varies depending on where the animals have moved from and to, and on the type of identification attached to the livestock.

Recording livestock movements on the NLIS Database

• If livestock are bought, sold or moved through a saleyard, the livestock movement must be recorded by the saleyard.
• For private sales (i.e. sales and movements that do not take place via a saleyard), the buyer/receiver of the livestock must record the livestock movement.
• The vendor/sender of the livestock is not obligated to record the movement off their property, although they may do so.
• Abattoirs must record movements for all directly consigned livestock.

It is good practice to check all movement records to and from your PIC on the NLIS database, (especially those completed by a third party) to make sure the details are correct such as the ‘from’ and ‘to’ PICs and the total number of livestock transferred.

The webinar

The Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP) a new program jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, is pleased to bring you a webinar that explores some of the online selling platforms and the NLIS database.