Under the system, cattle permanently carry a device that is embedded with a radio frequency microchip. The NLIS radio frequency chip can be read at abattoirs, saleyards and on-farm.

NLIS utilises the existing eight-digit PIC, plus a unique number applied on the farm of birth that identifies each animal for its whole life.

The features that this technology offers are:

• a whole-of-life birth tag which provides a start point for all trace-forward in the life of the animal;
• an additional source for traceback by applying a PIC tag at the time of future and subsequent sales;
• a paper trail through all transactions where the NVD is now capable of capturing the NLIS number; and
• full transaction recording through the NLIS and, with an appropriate database management system in place, means a particular animal can be traced through its life by reference to the database.
• the last four digits of the NLIS number, which is a unique reference to that animal, effectively becomes the management number and can record all on-farm management data relating to that specific animal.
• individual carcase feedback data, which can be provided by the slaughterer to the vendor. Weight, fat score, meat score, marbling and bruising score can soon be provided on an individual carcase basis.

The NLIS program has been available to Australian beef producers on a voluntary basis since January 1999, with the program becoming a mandatory national program from 1 July 2005.

For further information on NLIS – cattle, click here .