Mobile phones to track livestock

Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin has welcomed new software enabling livestock owners to track their animals with a mobile phone.

Mr Mulherin said: “Quick-thumbed livestock owners can now exchange National Livestock Identification Scheme information with the NLIS database, with the launch of new mobile phone application software.

“NLIS allows individual animals to be identified electronically with either an ear tag or rumen bolus ( a capsule with a transponder inserted into the animal). It enables cattle to be traced from property of birth to slaughter.

“This new software, ‘NLIS Express’, can be easily loaded onto compatible mobile phones – providing a new way to quickly capture and transfer NLIS data.

“It is going to be very useful to a lot of sectors within the livestock industry,” Mr Mulherin said.

Biosecurity Queensland Principal Project Officer Michael Lancaster said: “To ensure as many people know how to use it as possible, Biosecurity Queensland will be providing training on NLIS Express shortly.

“The training will be available to anyone who uses the NLIS database, but we also see it being of particular interest to agents,” he said.

Agent Dan Sullivan from Sullivan Livestock in Gympie is one of the first people in Queensland to use the new software.

Mr Sullivan said he uses NLIS Express to transfer data directly to the database on behalf of clients.

“With NLIS Express I can provide a transfer service to our clients – often while I’m still at their property,” he said.

“Often, I’ll know if the transfer has been completed before I leave the property and this has removed the need to come back to the office, freeing up my time to continue on with other business,” Mr Sullivan said.

The application was developed by MLA and is made available at no cost.

NLIS Operations Manager, Mr Rick Beasley, said the program had been developed to give producers, agents and others another simple way to contact the database.

“Cattle can be transferred and reports can be run,” he said.

To assist agents, producers and others to use NLIS Express, Biosecurity Queensland will conduct training on the use of the software.

To register your interest for the training on the new NLIS Express mobile phone software, call the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) on 13 25 23.

For more information about NLIS or Biosecurity Queensland visit www.dpi.qld.gov.au.

ENDS.

Minister’s Media: Mark Symons 3239 6530

DPI&F Media contact: Amity Sturwohld 3224 8837

Pic available contact Amity

Caption: Dan Sullivan (with Michael Lancaster) is one of many Queensland agents set to embrace the new NLIS technology.