No Mandatory Animal ID

USDA abandons private database concept for NAIS

USDA, after hearing strong opposition from the industry, has abandoned its earlier decision to allow a single private entity to manage the livestock movement database in connection with the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

But that wasn't the only major announcement from the agency concerning NAIS:

The agency's NAIS coordinator, Neil Hammerchmidt, told last week's meeting of R-CALF USA that there won't be a mandatory ID program by 2009, as previously announced.

And, he said, USDA attorneys are researching whether they have the legal authority to require producers to report livestock movement to a private entity.

This sure looks to me like a bunch of Government speak. I will attempt to decipher it.

"Since people don't like the idea of a private database we will just have the government keep the database and announce that there will be no mandatory program reporting to a private database. This will lull all the opposition to this program, like R-CALF, into thinking it won't be mandatory program down the line in 2009."

Yes, all they are saying is that they won't have a mandatory program that reports to a private database, not that there won't be a program. We need to keep up the pressure on this issue to stop the USDA from handing over production of all our food to the big corporations and factory farms who support the NAIS system. Remember, no ear tag ever stopped a disease.

An interesting list of organizations to help producers in my state, Montana, number their critters for the "voluntary" National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

Livestock producer registration offered

For more information about registering premises, contact one of these organizations: Montana Beef Network at (406) 994-4323, Montana Department of Livestock at (406) 444-7323, Montana Extension Service. Check with your local agent, Montana Farm Bureau Federation at (406) 587-3153, Montana Farmers Union at (406) 452-6406, Montana Pork Producers Council at (406) 994-3595, Montana Stockgrowers Association at (406) 442-3420, Montana Woolgrowers Association (406) 442-1330.

Real helpful these organizations are in Montana to help the government take away producers rights and subjugate themselves to Government tyranny. I urge producers not to submit to registration of their premises and to fight the whole NAIS proposal. It's just a fancy way the meat packers have to subjugate American producers to their will. While right now it's voluntary, it will be mandatory by 2005 unless producers and consumers can derail it. Remember the part these organizations played in trying to subjugate you producers and stop supporting them.

One of the whole reasons behind the push for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) by the USDA is animal diseases such as bird flu. Yesterday I mentioned the fact that the USDA is proposing to let Chicken from China into the US where, in case you've missed it, bird flu is rampant.

So the USDA wants to count and number all critters in the US to prevent disease, which by the way I will point out an ear tag never stopped a disease, but is willing to allow imports from a country that has the same disease to continue with no problems. Does this make sense to anyone else out there?

I'll tell you it's all about the money, the big meat packers tell the USDA what they want and guess what, they get it. The American consumer gets cheap meat, probable unsafe from foreign sources that don't meet US standards, the meat packers get lots of money and the American producer gets the shaft. What a deal. For safe affordable meat the American consumer needs to wake up and smell the tulips and fight these proposals from the USDA. Otherwise the ability of this country to feed itself will disappear forever.

R-CALF Mtg: Australian Cattleman Tells Of ID Shortcomings

From cattle producer Athol Economou's perspective, Australia's national animal identification system is virtually useless, and the true costs are unknown.

Economou, also a representative of the Australian Beef Association, made his remarks Friday at the R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America's annual convention in Denver, as attendees were being brought up to date on the construction progress of the U.S. traceback system.

Many U.S. producers are wary of the new system, and Economou's comments didn't do much to calm their fears.

Under the Australian program is mandatory, Economou said, and was initiated independently by each state over time.

To sell an animal, the animal must have the property identification code on an ear and tail tag plus a vender declaration that includes what the animal has been fed and its veterinary history, Economou said. The vender declaration says the seller believes the animal is wholesome or it states the seller doesn't know.

Each time an animal is sold, the information must go to a central database, Economou said. In theory, the current owner is responsible for keeping up the information flow. Buyers and packers are required to inform the database either of the purchase or of the slaughter.

This isn't the first time I've read about how Australians aren't happy with their system and to watch out in designing ours. The funny thing is that the USDA keeps holding up the Australian system as an example of what we want to do in the US. Beware the NAIS. It's the government getting in our pockets and freedom for their benefit, not ours.

Another excellent editorial about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that is worth a read.

NAIS: What Does it Take to Raise an Alarm These Days?

Over the past couple of years, we've been subjected to a series of media scares relating to our meat supply. From Mad Cow, to swine flu, to e.Coli, to mutant flesh-eating viruses, and now the Avian flu, we've been led to believe that if we don't act immediately, we're all going to die.

Enter the National Animal Identification System, a governmental program which utilizes public-private partnerships in an attempt to identify and track every animal in the United States.

And despite the fact that we haven't had a single case of Mad Cow or the Avian flu transmitted to humans in the United States, and that the NAIS couldn't possibly do a thing to prevent contaminations of our meat supply occurring after the meat has been processed, we're all expected to expel a deep sigh of relief.

Uncle Sam has come through for us again.

But at what cost?

The National Animal Identification System will force farmers, hobbyists, and even pet owners to register each animal they own, and tag that animal with an identifying tag, band, or implanted electronic chip, for the purpose of tracking that animal through the food chain whether or not it even enters the food chain.

An over-reaching government out of control is what it sounds like.

Will implementation of the NAIS make our meat supply safer? Probably not, and it's not likely that we'd know if it did. It's not like people are dropping like flies from Mad Cow disease, as it is. The NAIS might be compared to using a cannon to hunt black flies in February.

The NAIS is likely to drive small meat producers out of business, placing an unfair economic burden on the traditional American businesses that have fed us since we've existed as a nation. Once the program is established, animal owners will bear the costs associated with the requirements for registration, identification, and reporting.

Costs to large-scale producers of meat will be absorbed by consumers, raising the cost of living for all of us.

The NAIS will prevent many people from raising animals for their own food. The NAIS is said to be necessary in order to make our food supply secure against disease or terrorism, yet what can be more secure than raising your own food or buying from a local farmer who you actually know?

This is exactly the thing, NAIS will not make our food supply safer. It will only increase the cost of production of food which will be passed on to the consumers and drive the little guys out of business. Is this what we want to see as a country? The family farm and ranches disappear.

Although it seems to be slow in coming, there is yet time for an outcry over this program to have some effect. Small farmers and landowners can take action to oppose implementation of this plan.

First, do not participate in the "voluntary" state program to register either your farm or your animals, as they'll use your willingness to participate in the program as justification for making it mandatory for everyone in the near future. If state or federal officials urge you to register either your premises or your animals, ask them whether your participation is voluntary or mandatory. Ask to see a copy of any legislation that gives them the authority to require compliance.

More importantly, contact any farming, breeding, or other associations that you might be a member of, asking them to oppose the NAIS. Ask these organizations to sponsor letter-writing campaigns to elected officials, both state and federal. Individually, you can write to your state and federal legislators. Letters sent via the postal service carry more weight than emails or form letters, but anything is better than nothing.

The United States Department of Agriculture plans the issuance of a NAIS rule for public comment in July of 2006. Be aware of this when the time comes, and be prepared to submit an individual comment opposing this rule.

Heed this advice and do everything you can to oppose this Nais rule from going into effect. The amazing thing about it is that their is no legislation authorizing this. It is the executive branch of the government acting on their own with no oversight from Congress. Write your Congressman to draft legislation opposing this. Everybody's help is needed.

A private group has been formed to oversee the National Animal Identification System. The United States Animal Identification Organization held their first meeting via teleconference this week, where the board's first three members were elected.

One leader of the organization is NCBA member Rick Stott of Boise, Idaho. He says the group is a non-profit, independent organization with just one purpose: to provide an industry controlled entity to manage the National Animal Identification movement database.

With the way I see NCBA/meat packers manipulating the whole NAIS I don't feel at all good about this "Private group" being formed. I am sure it's packed with people who are towing the line to the meatpackers/NCBA/USDA line of bull we are being fed. Just another group to keep an eye on.

I normally don't link to opinion pieces but this one gets an exception.

The mark of the beast

The piece is about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and the problems with it.

Everyone wants a safe, abundant and affordable food supply, which America has enjoyed for years – without a National Animal Identification System. Why is it necessary now? The increased terrorist threat certainly justifies tightening up security in the food chain. But the NAIS does little or nothing to tighten security, while imposing ridiculous burdens upon the small producer.

The NAIS was initiated by the National Institute of Animal Agriculture, a non-government organization consisting of the leaders of agribusiness. The program they designed tends to shift the burden, cost and ultimate responsibility for food safety from the agribusiness giants to the small producer.

The NAIS requires the small producer to not only bear the cost of the program, but also to be the ultimate scapegoat in the event that an agribusiness supplier's product is found to be faulty, for whatever reason. Should little Johnny get sick after eating a hamburger made with beef supplied by BigAgri Packing Company, BigAgri simply points the finger to the producer, or producers, whose cows were in the batch from which Johnny's hamburger was made. Agribusiness shifts its responsibility for buying only healthy product to the farmer, who must guarantee his animals to be healthy.

The NAIS is an industry-designed program which will drive small producers out of business, reduce competition and ultimately put both supply and price in the hands of industry giants – unless opponents of this program get organized.

I agree with all of this. It's a program designed to put the burden of the whole system on the producers and not the big companies. The National Cattleman's Beef Association (NCBA) and the USDA support this system and as I've reported and showed before the big meat packers control these two entities to do what they want, which is NAIS.

I have yet to meet a rancher that supports this and one of my neighbors is a big supporter of NCBA so you think he would, well guess what, he doesn't. People need to wake up on this one and start hitting their congressman and state representatives. This will hurt all Americans in the long run and not help anybody but the big business drive the small producers out.

Someone dropped a comment in an older post about a blog I found of interest called Stop Animal ID. If I read it right its an effort to promote understanding to all people about what the whole National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is proposing and doing. It bears for more than just cattle producers to keep an eye on this and act.

In Texas, once this is in full effect, you will be fined $1000 a DAY for not registering your premises if you have animals and, the way the Texas regs are worded, that INCLUDES pets.

According to this it even affects pet owners. People need to be paying attention to this and making noise. I've wrote my congressmen and Senators once about this, I think it's time to again.