Increased financial assistance for Queensland’s sheep and goat industry aims to support the uptake of mandatory electronic identification
The Queensland government has announced a second round of financial assistance for sheep and goat producers will open in 2026 to go towards the cost of electronic identification (eID), including point-of-sale discounts.
Mandatory individual eID for sheep and goats started in Queensland on January 1, 2025, as part of a national initiative.
Following feedback received by the industry, the state government made a commitment for an independent review into cost-sharing arrangements, with the review recommending the second round of financial assistance and ongoing industry engagement.
This is all aimed at enhancing early adoption and industry readiness for full national implementation of sheep and goat eID by January 1, 2027, where they must be fitted with the device before leaving their property.
Additionally, from 2026, Queensland processors, saleyards and agriculture show sub chambers may also be eligible for a capped rebate of up to 50 per cent of the cost of eligible items such as eID device readers.
“The independent review found a high level of support for eID and its importance to livestock industry integrity, however, it also found opportunities for improvement to support industry readiness for full implementation by January 2027,” Queensland primary industries minister Tony Perrett says.
“Some of these opportunities for improvement include more face-to-face engagement to enhance early adoption and industry readiness, and a second round of financial assistance including point-of-sale discounts on eID devices.”