FAQs about the NAIT scheme

  1. What is NAIT?

    NAIT (National Animal Identification & Tracing) is an animal identification and tracing system that will link people, property and livestock. NAIT Ltd is the industry-owned company that will implement the scheme. The focus of the NAIT scheme is on cattle and deer.

     

  2. Are industry members involved with NAIT?

    Yes. NAIT Ltd is owned by DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Deer Industry New Zealand and supported by the NAIT stakeholder reference group. In addition, we have established a number of technical advisory groups with key stakeholder groups to test the specific rules that will apply with NAIT.

    The NAIT stakeholder reference group has member representatives from:

    • DairyNZ
    • Beef + Lamb New Zealand
    • Meat Industry Association (MIA)
    • Federated Farmers of New Zealand
    • Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ)
    • Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ)
    • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
    • New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA part of MAF)

     

  3. How will NAIT improve New Zealand's biosecurity?

    NAIT will enable the location of cattle and deer to be traced much faster than existing manual systems. The electronic NAIT system will provide more reliable and up-to-date information on individual animal movements, allowing NAIT to respond quickly in the event of a biosecurity or animal health threat. This will improve New Zealand's biosecurity surveillance and response efficiency.

     

  4. How are privacy concerns being addressed by NAIT?

    Your NAIT data will be kept private, as required by the Privacy Act. NAIT Ltd will limit access to, and use or disclosure of, your NAIT data to the purposes stated in the NAIT legislation.

     

  5. Will my NAIT animal data be accessed for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)?

    No. Any access, use or disclosure of data will be limited to the purposes stated in the NAIT legislation, which does not permit access for ETS purposes.

     

  6. Have the benefits of NAIT been quantified?

    Yes. A conservative cost-benefit analysis was completed in late 2009, in accordance with Treasury guidelines. It assessed that the NAIT system would generate annualised benefits of around $38 million per year.

    New Zealand faces huge costs if it fails to meet international expectations for animal identification and tracing. Brazil’s experience illustrates this point. The European Union banned Brazilian beef imports in February 2008 due to deficiencies in Brazil’s tracing systems. Within a matter of weeks, the cost of the export ban had risen to US$300 million.

    In 2001, a New Zealand Reserve Bank/Treasury study calculated the cost of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak to be $6.1 billion, rising to $10.65 billion over two years. While NAIT would not reduce the likelihood of occurring New Zealand disease outbreak, it would reduce the impact by four to ten percent , according to estimates from MAF Biosecurity New Zealand.

     

  7. What is the connection between NAIT and FarmsOnline?

    FarmsOnline is a government-owned database that brings together existing information about the ownership and management of all rural properties, land use, stock and crops. The integrity of the NAIT scheme relies on being able to identify the property on which the animals are located. Where possible, this information will be sourced from FarmsOnLine and confirmed during the NAIT registration process.

     

  8. What organisation is implementing NAIT?

    NAIT Ltd, an industry-owned company, is responsible for implementing the NAIT scheme. NAIT Ltd is governed by a board of directors.

     

  9. What stage is NAIT at?

    NAIT Ltd is currently working on developing the NAIT scheme, which includes:

    • the software application and core IT database
    • stakeholder liaison
    • communications
    • passage of the NAIT legislation and delivery of the associated regulations, and operational testing of the system.

     

  10. Are all animals part of the NAIT scheme?

    No. The focus of the NAIT scheme is on cattle and deer, because they are already included in mandatory animal identification schemes under the National Bovine Tuberculosis (Tb) Pest Management Strategy.

     

  11. When will NAIT be mandatory?

    NAIT will be mandatory when both the legislation is in place and the NAIT system is operating effectively.

    NAIT will be mandatory for cattle on 1 July 2012, and for deer from March 2013, pending the passing of legislation.

     

  12. How will I provide information to NAIT?

    When NAIT is operational, you will be able to provide information to NAIT using a number of options:

    • directly online via the internet
    • through a person in charge of animals (PICA) delegate who can meet obligations on your behalf
    • by use of a phone service
    • via a NAIT-approved information provider, of your choice.

     

  13. How much will NAIT cost and who will fund it?

    Government and industry will share the costs of operating the NAIT scheme. Government has agreed to meet the upfront capital expenditure of building the NAIT system and 35 percent of the annual running costs.

    Industry will meet the remaining 65 percent of costs through a combination of slaughter and tag levies.