Member and Industry News Have you registered your pigs? AHA Communications team Whether you’re a pig producer or simply keep a pet pig, you need to make sure your pig is registered with PigPass, Australia’s system to record all pig movements. Mandatory reporting of all pig movements through PigPass was introduced by the state and territory governments in February 2018. Deb Kerr, Australian Pork Limited (APL) General Manager, Policy said mandatory reporting was an important step in ensuring the industry was prepared for an emergency animal disease outbreak. “The move to bring in mandatory reporting for pigs helps to give a clear picture of all movements, allowing authorities to quickly determine the source of a disease outbreak and notify all pig owners in the affected area to protect animals and stop the spread of disease,” said Ms Kerr. PigPass will bring the industry in line with other livestock industries, such as cattle and sheep, who can be tracked through the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). PigPass links pigs to their property of origin by using a Property Identification Code, registered pig identification (ear tags or tattoos) and PigPass movement documentation. The importance for producers to ensure they are using PigPass is Deb Kerr, APL’s General Manager, Policy tied to the consequences that a disease outbreak, such as FMD could have on the Australian economy, reducing the gross domestic profit by up to $50 billion over ten years. “PigPass and the NLIS system have the capacity to reduce the social and financial impact of a disease epidemic through improved identification and traceability capability,” said Ms Kerr. “PigPass and the NLIS system have the capacity to reduce the social and financial impact of a disease epidemic...” 40 THE LINK AUT/WIN 18 “Australia’s pork industry identification and trace-back capabilities are designed to ensure the industry maintains and develops an effective traceability system in the most cost effective way.” For more information and to register with the PigPass system visit https://pigpass. australianpork.com.au/faq.
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