Explaining the NAIT obligations of lifestylers
According to Real Estate NZ every year over 7000 lifestyle properties change hands. Often, these are new lifestyle block owners unaware of their legal obligations especially when it comes to management of animals.
Federated Farmers now has a special membership package for lifestyle block owners so that they can access our policy expertise, advice and other services.
In this Q&A, Ospri’s Head of Traceability Kevin Forward talks about the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) obligations of lifestylers.
Whether you have a dozen animals or even just one, as a lifestyler or PICA that is… [person in charge of animals] you are legally obligated to register with NAIT and keep your NAIT account up to date if managing NAIT animals.
What is a NAIT animal?
NAIT animals are cattle or deer. If you have non-NAIT animals such as sheep and pigs, you don’t have to tag and register the animals. However, you are now required by law to declare them and the number you have before July 31 each year.
What is a NAIT location?
The property where you are in charge of NAIT animals is known as a NAIT location and this helps us to identify where your animals are. Your registered NAIT location is then assigned a unique NAIT number.
As a lifestyle farmer, why should I care about NAIT?
Well, if you’re not already aware or perhaps not been trading animals lately it’s becoming virtually impossible to avoid NAIT. It’s unlikely you will be able to buy stock or even one animal without it having a NAIT number, a tag, or movement recorded in the NAIT online system. MPI who undertake enforcement of NAIT are also escalating their compliance drive, so it is possible you’ll be fined or prosecuted for not tagging or registering any animals you have on farm. The point is an animal that is tagged and NAIT registered can be traced and this lessens the risk of introducing an animal borne disease on your property- or for that matter your neighbour’s.
So, if the calves or weaners are tagged and registered it supports disease management?
That in theory is what we want to emphasise. For example, livestock diseases can spread rapidly and quickly with animal contact through fences. It might be simple as lice, or something much more costly, but it is up to you to take responsibility and look out for your animals and neighbours even if you only have one cow. Tagging animals allows each animal to be individually identified and traced during its lifetime through the recording of NAIT movements. Registering animals enables lifetime traceability by providing information about their date of birth and location of birth. Untagged or unregistered animals heighten the risk of disease spread as there are no means of identifying them, verifying where the animal originated from and whether it was in contact with a disease affected herd. This has implications for our national biosecurity.
What do lifestylers need to do to meet their NAIT obligations?
You must register with NAIT first. Or if you haven’t already, complete re-registration. Then you can register your property and NAIT animals which is a legal obligation.
How do you do this?
Go to the OSPRI website landing page. If you’re a new user, you’ll need to fill out an online form and get a password. If you need to re-register ( previously registered before Feb 2019) there is a dedicated webpage also accessible from a quick link on the landing page.
It’s important to point out that the animal needs to be tagged first and then you register that tag in the NAIT online system. This should be done within 180 days of birth (about 6 months) or before their first movement off the property they were born on,
whichever comes first.
Why do you think lifestylers may see less value in supporting traceability?
Most lifestylers don’t have the same commercial considerations, such as price per kilo at the works, as large-scale farmers do, so there is less incentive to record stock. The importance of recording livestock movements in NAIT and market access for our beef exports does not necessarily resonate with them. Animals on small blocks are often destined for homekill or used for paddock management, so may never leave the property at all; as they are not part of the commercial food chain, recording them may not seem a necessity – but it is.
What are the consequences for not registering with NAIT or
declaring your NAIT animals?
Failure to register your property you can expect an $800 fine. If you have decided not to re-register you will be subject to a $400 fine. This fine also applies to every individual animal or movement that is not recorded in NAIT.
Do you have a final message for lifestylers about NAIT?
Just do it! Get help, call the OSPRI Contact Centre, or there are plenty of videos and guides on the OSPRI website. So, you can understand your obligations and avoid the fines. Keeping your NAIT up to date is like paying the mortgage and rates, it’s just something you have to do. Don’t let your neighbour or community down.