A Waikato farmer has been fined $3900 for not registering 152 cattle under the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme.
Waitomo sheep and beef farmer, Brian Anthony Murphy, 67, was sentenced at the Te Kuiti District Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to three charges of failing to register the cattle.
The Ministry for Primary Industries national manager of Animal Welfare and NAIT compliance Gray Harrison said compliance with the animal and identification system was critical.
"We certainly take it very seriously. Our ability to track and trace cattle and deer through the NAIT system is a critical factor in managing biosecurity threats which could have a devastating impact on New Zealand's agricultural sector."
Recent amendments to penalties in the NAIT Act, which increased the maximum penalty to $100,000, reflected the importance of compliance, Harrison said.