The Stock & Station Agents Association has defended the imposition of an extra fee of 75c (plus GST) on every head of cattle bought and sold in saleyards.
Last week, Northland farming leader Hugh Rose said there's no justification for the new fee, which both buyers and sellers of cattle have to pay.
The charge has applied since the National Animal Identification & Tracing Scheme was introduced on 1 July.
Elders New Zealand also says the charge is justified. Chief executive Stuart Chapman says stock companies have been quite upfront about it and included it in their weekly stock sale notices.
He says no saleyard has had any financial support to date from the company which administers the NAIT scheme.