Are you contributing to the biosecurity of Western Australia’s livestock industries?
More than 99% of Western Australian cattle, sheep and goat producers actively support the biosecurity of the livestock industries by making financial contributions to WA’s Industry Funding Schemes.
Industry Funding Schemes enable WA agricultural industries to raise funds for activities that address priority pests and diseases at a whole-of-industry level.
For livestock industries, there is currently a Cattle Industry Funding Scheme and a Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme.
The schemes are an integral part of the State’s biosecurity system, helping to maintain access to domestic and international markets and supporting the viability and profitability of our livestock industries.
Funds are raised through a producer contribution on each chargeable sale. A ‘chargeable sale’ is the sale of cattle, sheep or goats (live or carcasses) that are located on a property within the state or moved from the property for the purpose of offering them for sale/slaughter.
For the 2017/18 financial year, the producer contribution on each chargeable sale is 10 cents per head/carcass for sheep and goats; and 20 cents per head/carcass for cattle.
It is a requirement of the Industry Funding Scheme regulations for livestock agents and processors to collect and forward contributions to the scheme on behalf of producers.
If you are selling livestock to someone other than an agent or processor, you as the vendor are legally responsible for paying the required contributions direct to the scheme.
This includes when sheep, goats and cattle are sold direct to an exporter, another producer or an interstate buyer, or as part of a property sale.
Details on how to pay Industry Funding Scheme contributions are available on the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Agriculture and Food website.
The continued support of producers for the schemes enables the WA livestock industries to identify and invest in biosecurity activities that help maintain our market advantage and the sustainability of the industries in Western Australia.
For more information contact Rebecca Heath, Industry Funding Scheme Executive Officer, Northam on +61(0)8 9690 2171.