SA's eID tag rebate expansion welcomed but oversight needed on orders

However it will not be as simple as for those buying black NLIS-approved tags for 2024-drop lambs and kids, or white tags in the first half of 2025, where the 95 cent discount is already included at the point of sale.

Instead, those who have bought or buy tags between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025 that do not correspond to the year of birth colours will need to pay full price and apply through PIRSA's online form for the 50 per cent rebate.

Pink post breeder tags, non NLIS-accredited devices and colours outside the year of birth colour tag system, such as brown and grey, are not included.

Those applying for the rebate must also have an active Property Identification Code and be registered with PIRSA.

PIRSA executive director of major projects and regions Peter Appleford said they were pleased to be able to assist producers buying eID tags that were not designated for that year.

"Improved traceability is crucial to ensuring we have the best possible system in place to protect our $2.39 billion livestock industry if a disease such as foot and mouth occurs in Australia and that's exactly what the eID system for sheep and farmed goats will deliver," he said.

Livestock SA president Joe Keynes said they lobbied for the change as they were aware not all producers chose to identify their sheep with the year of birth colour scheme.

He encouraged PIRSA to ensure it had a good audit process in place, comparing tag orders with PIC records to identify producers that may be stockpiling tags.

"If one or two people happen to rort the system, good luck to them but in five years time we may have UHF tags, which everyone is saying will be so much cheaper and more effective and they may find they have a tag no longer in use," he said.

Mr Keynes said they had raised the need with Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven for further funding in the 2025-26 budget for tag rebates to go beyond January 2027, when all sheep must be tagged prior to leaving the property.

"These sheep are compliant now with the tag in their ear so just because producers have these sheep post 2027, we don't think it is fair that they pay the full amount for another tag," he said.

"The minister has acknowledged double tagging is an issue so now we are trying to set some numbers about what the potential crossover is post 2027 - we will be taking a proactive stance to what that might look like."

In June 2023, Ms Scriven announced $9.3m in state government funding for 2023-2025 to help the industry prepare for the eID start date of January 1 2025. This was accompanied by $3.6m of federal funds.

According to PIRSA, just 560,990 eID tags have been used in applications for 2023-drop lambs.

A PIRSA spokesperson said there was no cap on tag orders under the expanded scheme but producers must declare, as part of the rebate application, that the NLIS accredited eID tags purchased in 2023, 2024 and/or 2025 will be fixed to sheep and/ or farmed goats born in those years.

"As year of birth colour is not mandatory in SA, the risk of stockpiling has not changed with the new arrangements," they said.