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Enhanced farm animal status tracking system will benefit the animal product export trade.

27 September, 2005

A new animal status declaration (ASD) system to be introduced from 1 October will play a key role in facilitating New Zealand’s vital animal product export trade.

The new ASD, which has the full support of farming industry groups, will accompany all movements of cattle (except bobby calves when they are sent for processing), deer, sheep, lambs, goats, alpacas, llamas, horses, ostriches, and emus.

The form is an integral part of the system that underpins New Zealand’s multi-billion dollar animal product export trade. This includes live animals, meat, meat products and by-products.

The form provides key information on issues including: Tb questions (required by the Animal Health Board); food safety questions (required by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority); and market access questions (required by overseas markets to ensure eligibility to those markets).

New Zealand Food Safety Authority Director (Market Access), Tony Zohrab, says the form is a “vital component of the market eligibility system that underpins the Government's ability to sign export certificates”.

“Much of New Zealand's multi-billion dollar export animal product trade is made possible because of the ASD system.”

Information to be supplied about groups of farm animals throughout their life will include whether they are subject to veterinary medicine withholding periods.

Other details, depending on species, will include whether they have ever been fed ruminant proteins (although it is an offence to feed these to ruminants, overseas markets require additional assurances) or treated with growth promotants, and what their Tb status is.

All parties that take charge of stock – lifestyle block owners, farmers, stock and station agents, and meat processing companies – will be bound by the new requirements.

After a three-month phase-in period starting 1 October 2005, the form will become mandatory from 1 January, 2006, replacing the old form.

Farming and industry groups support the changes and have been instrumental in drafting the new form.

Federated Farmers’ NZ Meat & Fibre Producers Chairman Ian Corney says the form anticipates more stringent requirements that are being forced upon New Zealand meat exports by overseas markets.

“The new form meets these added assurances being increasingly demanded by importing countries.”

Further Information

The new form, guidelines and factsheet are available at:

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/animalproducts/publications/forms/statements-declarations/asd/index.htm

Ends

Contact Richard Trow, Communications Adviser NZFSA: 021 313 438