Use of the forms is voluntarily now.
The Red Meat Profit Partnership and the Ministry for Primary Industries have partnered with Ospri to develop the forms.
Silver Fern Farms ran the original eASD pilot on behalf of the industry at its Finegand plant to test the ease of the system from a farmers’ perspective and to demonstrate how the industry can use eASD in a commercial setting.
SFF agribusiness technical support manager Melissa Sowden said it was keen to drive the trial because of the high number of non-compliant paper forms received and to improve efficiency in recording animal movements.
“Certainly, incomplete forms are totally an issue driving this.
“It’s unbelievable the number of incorrect forms we receive – not signed, no tally, wrong tally and it goes on.”
Managing the incomplete forms has become time-consuming.
“On average every incomplete form is six minutes of time. It’s not many before half a day every day is consumed with someone sorting this.
“Incomplete ASD means animals are not eligible for market access.”
But eASDs are a lot more seamless.
“If the farmer gets it wrong it can be easily corrected right there and then.”
The success of the trial now has eASD being implemented across the industry.
“Farmers have found it particularly easy and fast to do from the yards or from the kitchen table and it has cut out rework in the paper trail.
“It’s also saving a lot of paper and a heck of a lot of paper storage.”
SFF now has its whole plant network and more than 900 suppliers using the eASD system across the country when sending sheep, cattle and deer to its plants.
The electronic forms automatically show each farm’s information.
They replace the paper forms and can be filled out on a smart phone, tablet or computer.
“Farmers can look back at these records without having to go back through their old paper ASD dockets.
“It is currently a voluntary system but we believe it is a great initiative for the whole industry because it makes compliance easy and it saves time on farm and at plant.
“It’s part of the future for better efficiency and traceability for our industry,” Sowden said.
All data is kept secure and only the farmer, SFF and the nominated transport operator can see the form.
It is still a legal and formal declaration and must be completed accurately and in accordance with the Animal Products Act.
The explanatory notes relating on the back of the paper form will remain viewable on the electronic form.
While processors are leading the implementation Ospri is developing the programme because the eASDs align closely with Nait.
Nait head Kevin Ford said in terms of improving animal tracing it’s an exciting programme.
“It’s seamless for farmers and links ASD and Nait together.
“It links disease management systems including information around TB status as well.
“The information can be pre-populated into ASD, making it very quick and easy for the farmer.”
Ford said the programme has 1964 mostly sheep farmers using eASDs.
“We do expect better compliance with eASD and that in turn will greatly improve traceability with the inclusion of a link to animal movements at a mob level.
“For Ospri and for NZ’s animal livestock traceability we see this as a fundamental component to disease traceability that will speed up response and is a lot more accurate and efficient.”
The biggest barriers are how to get everybody signing up and making it functional for all.
It is limited to farm to meat processor animal movements but it’s planned to include farm to farm and farm to sale yards movements.
Ford said there’s no projected date for the roll-out of the fully functional programme.
“At the moment that’s in the hands of the tech departments.”
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For more information and participation in the programme farmers can call the Ospri contact centre on 0800 482 463.
