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Foot-and-mouth disease
The new National Cattle and Goat Health Declarations are now available as fillable forms meaning you can enter the details on your computer and print it out ready to go.
You wouldn’t buy a car without knowing what condition it was in, so why would you risk purchasing cattle or goats without knowing their health status?
Especially now that it’s easier than ever for prospective buyers to find out the health information of cattle and goats offered for sale, with the National Cattle Health Declaration (NCHD) and National Goat Health Declaration (NGHD) available as fillable PDFs, in addition to printable versions.
The new NCHD and NGHD joins the existing fillable Sheep Health Statement, providing cattle, goat and sheep producers with a more convenient way to share health information about their flocks, said Duncan Rowland, Animal Health Australia’s Executive Manager of Biosecurity and Product Integrity Services.
“Both forms have been updated to reflect user feedback and the creation of the fillable format helps producers save time, as they can prefill address details and easily email the Declaration to others.
“Buyers should always ask vendors for a Declaration so they can assess the health risks associated with animals for sale. We hope that the option of a fillable form will encourage more producers to use these documents to make informed purchasing decisions and prevent the introduction of disease into their herds,” said Mr Rowland.
Although completion of the NCHD and NGHD is voluntary, once the Declaration has been signed, it becomes a legal document.
“No other form can offer the same level of assurance to buyers that the health information provided about animals for sale is accurate. These Declarations provide producers with a simple way to protect their biosecurity status and should be used as part of a wider biosecurity strategy,” said Mr Rowland.
Both Declarations, along with the Sheep Health Statement, can be found on the Declarations and Statements page on the Farm Biosecurity website. Additional resources that can help with biosecurity planning, such as videos and manuals, can also be found on the website.
