NAIT replacement system

We're replacing New Zealand's online NAIT system to provide farmers and industry with user-friendly technology that simplifies and improves livestock traceability management. It will also strengthen New Zealand's biosecurity.

The system will support:

robust biosecurity protection
enhanced food safety credentials
stronger export market access
more effective animal health management.

These improvements will deliver greater value for farmers and build confidence among consumers in New Zealand and overseas, protecting our high-value agricultural exports.

Our vision and objectives

The replacement system is guided by a clear vision — easy, accurate animal tracing through modern, digital services.

To achieve this, we're focusing on 5 key objectives:

1 Customer-centric user experience — designing with farmers' needs at the forefront.
2 More effective and efficient traceability — improving the core function of animal tracing.
3 Seamless partner integration — making it easier for industry partners to connect their systems and develop innovative industry applications.
4 Extensible and scalable architecture — building a system that can grow and adapt (for example, to trace additional types of animals).
5 Optimised support capability — enabling better assistance when needed.

Addressing challenges

The replacement system addresses critical issues with the current system:

Unsatisfactory farmer experience when using the system.
Technological barriers to compliance that frustrate users.
Hard-to-maintain legacy technology.
Need for higher quality data to support disease management.
Limited data access for key stakeholders.

Benefits for everyone

We are designing the new system with all users in mind. For:

farmers — a user-friendly system that reduces administration and allows for flexible data entry that works with on-farm routines and technology
ear tag manufacturers — smooth information exchange between tag producers and the NAIT information system
stock agents, saleyards and meat processors — fast, intuitive online tools with efficient system-integration capabilities
information providers — better integration for accredited organisations helping clients meet obligations
industry shareholders — safeguarding export opportunities and maintaining trust in dairy, beef and deer industries
Ministry for Primary Industries — near real-time data access for rapid response to animal health threats.

Funding and value

Industry levies and government contributions will continue to fund the NAIT replacement system. This reflects the system's importance to the primary sector and all New Zealanders. The improved system will deliver value through:

reduced compliance costs
better data quality
enhanced emergency response capabilities.

What’s next?

We are taking a careful, phased approach:

Phase A (complete) — technical assessment and decision to rebuild the system.
Phase B (until June 2025) — developing detailed requirements and architecture.
Phase C (from July to December 2025) — selecting technology partners and finalising implementation plans.
Phase D (from 2026) — building and rolling out the new system in stages.

We're committed to creating a solution that works for everyone who uses it. Farmers and industry stakeholders will have many opportunities to contribute to the system's design. We’ll publish NAIT replacement system project updates and opportunities to get involved on this page.

For more information about the project, email info@ospri.co.nz