New reporting measures to improve food traceability

Tue, 19 Jul 2016

New processes aimed at simplifying communications between farmers and the government will help with food traceability.

Currently if cattle die farmers have to return the animal passport and report the death via the Animal Waste Processing Plant or straight to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

Due to multiple parties being involved there has, on occasion, been a loss of paperwork or failure to correctly notify the appropriate channels.

A consultation is now in place to cut out the DoI - who manage the animal waste plant - and farmers will now only need to notify DEFA directly to avoid any confusion.

Chief vet Stuart Jaques explains why processes like these are important: