With changes to Livestock Production Assurance announced last year now in full effect, the Livestock Biosecurity Network is urging livestock producers to ensure they are aware of what is required and how they become accredited or re-accredited.
As a livestock owner, whether you’re a commercial producer or small landholder, it’s important to understand the livestock industry’s requirements for food safety, traceability and product integrity.
Frances Gartrell
The Integrity Systems Company (a subsidiary of Meat & Livestock Australia) delivers the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program, National Vendor Declarations (NVDs) and the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). Programs including LPA are incredibly important to our industry, and have been put in place to underpin our market access into over 100 countries around the world.
Livestock Production Assurance (LPA), industry’s on-farm assurance program meets the stringent requirements of our export markets, providing an assurance of the safety of red meat grown by Australia’s producers, while the NVD provides the platform for the transfer of information and the NLIS system supports the identification and traceability of cattle, sheep and goats through the value chain.
Livestock Biosecurity Network works to support producers in understanding and implementing on-farm biosecurity, food safety and welfare practices, which are a part of the LPA program. The recent changes to LPA affect the way producers manage their livestock and documentation required on-farm or when the animals are sold, regardless of the size of the property or the number of animals they own.
As of 1 October 2017, LPA requires all accredited producers to meet additional standards regarding biosecurity and animal welfare.
LPA accreditation allows producers to access and use National Vendor Declarations (NVDs), the food safety and animal movement document required when moving, selling or purchasing livestock through the supply chain.
The new three yearly re-accreditation and assessment process enables producers to maintain an understanding of current industry requirements for animal welfare, biosecurity and food safety. Producers are also provided practical examples of the documentation required for maintaining their LPA accreditation. These can be downloaded free of charge fromhttps://www.mla.com.au/meat-safety-and-traceability/red-meat-integrity-system/integrity-tools-and-resources/
Producers will receive notification of their re-accreditation two months prior to their current accreditation expiring. Producers are welcome to either become re-accredited at a time convenient to their own needs or wait until they receive their notification of renewal.
The accreditation process is easily accessible via their LPA Account login (https://lpa.nlis.com.au).
Once logged in, producers can work their way through the seven LPA modules, complete the assessment questions and receive their certificate of completion.
The LPA re-accreditation fee ($66 including GST) needs to be paid every three years as a part of the re-accreditation process.
Livestock Biosecurity Network is in the process of organising workshops for 2018 to assist producers with on-farm biosecurity planning, welfare, and understanding and meeting the LPA standards.
Source: LBN. Contact your state Biosecurity and Extension Manager for more information.