Australia's agriculture chief pushes livestock ID scheme.(Brief Article)

The head of Australia's agriculture department has warned that unless all livestock are tagged in a national identification system, the country will lose its competitive edge in world export markets.

Department Secretary Mike Taylor told Food Traceability Report that a national identification system is essential as more and more importing nations demand certified, safe food. He added, however, that such a system need not be mandatory because most ranchers, farmers, food manufacturers and retailers already realize the commercial benefits of participating.

"It is not the consumer pushing this," Taylor said. "It is wholesalers and retailers. The food industry needs to know it can rely on …