NAIT jumps the gun on animal ID ear tags

Federated Farmers is warning farmers not to purchase ear tags in anticipation of the proposed National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme.

“We are concerned with comments made by the chairperson of the NAIT governance group urging farmers to purchase low frequencyradio-frequency identification (RFID) ear tags,” says Lachlan McKenzie, Federated Farmers Dairy chairperson.

“Aside from the fact NAIT is by no means guaranteed in its current guise, this makes no commercial sense whatsoever when many farmers have little or no farm income. 

“It’s premature and irresponsible given the financial pressures farmers are currently under. 

“Anyway, with just a few hundred NAIT RFID ear tags being sold right now, why would any farmer pay over the odds when prices will come down later?

“If NAIT, or a similar system is introduced, millions of ear tags will be sold and mass manufacturing tells us the price will be much, much less than what it is today.  That’s supply and demand.

“Federated Farmers is currently investigating the cost of Ultra High Frequency RFID tags.  Our discussions on Chinese sourced tags indicate a price point substantially lower than what exists today. 

“Being a membership based organisation we are considering the sale of tags to members as a value added service.

“I still maintain that until the second-stage business case is verified, NAIT is rashly jumping the gun and Federated Farmers doesn’t wish to see farmers exposed to any unnecessary financial costs,” Mr McKenzie concluded.