The importance of utilising electronic identification for total farm management in Australia

This paper aims to explore how Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) can be utilised on dairy farms to enhance total farm management. There is a growing worldwide trend for countries to implement whole-of-life traceability systems for livestock, and RFID is clearly the dominant technology being chosen to achieve this aim. In line with this global trend, and to meet the requirements of key trading partners (such as the EU), Australia has implemented the National Livestock Identification System (NLlS) to provide whole-of-life traceability for Iivestock - a system based on the use of RFID devices. As such, it is proposed that dairy farmers utilise RFID so as to not only comply with NLIS requirements, but to extend the use of RFID onto their farms so as to provide additional benefits for themselves through subsequent enhancements in farm management practices.