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Sheep must be tagged from July 2005
16 Apr 2003
The compulsory identification tagging of the nation's sheep flock will commence on July 2005, in a move just endorsed by federal and state ministers. The National Flock Identification Scheme was introduced in July 2002 but has been voluntary so far.
Tagging is considered to be the best way to trace disease outbreaks. The tags are colour-coded for birth year and property identification number, and all tags are linked to a central database.
The ministers also decided to start a vaccine stockpiling effort in preparation for any potential foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. The program will initially cost about $1 million and will be shared by federal and state governments and the livestock industry.
Weekly Times, 16/4/03, page 2.
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