The extension of Electronic Identification (EID) to all sheep as of June 1, 2019, provides an opportunity to marts and slaughter plants to apply to operate as an approved Central Point of Recording (CPR).
According to a statement from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the approved locations will be permitted to record the individual tag numbers of all sheep presented on their premises on behalf of the presenting keeper.
However, it is not mandatory for marts and slaughter plants to operate as approved CPRs, according to the Department of Agriculture.
A further 44 marts, representing 91% of mart throughput in 2018, have either made applications to the department seeking approval to operate as Central Points of Recording or have submitted a declaration of interest to operate as a CPR.
According to the department, officials are working closely with mart personnel to assist with the CPR application process to facilitate marts commencing CPR operations for EID tags in as short a timescale as is possible.
Concluding, the statement outlined that marts are actively engaging in installing the required infrastructure to operate as CPRs, and it is anticipated that a significant number of marts will be in a position to operate as CPRs in a relatively short period.