No Mandatory Animal ID

Stockgrowers urge producers to be wary of animal ID plan

The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association reminds ranchers to carefully consider the U.S. Department of Agriculture's updated animal ID plan, which may be just as unfriendly to independent producers as the previous plan documents.

According to SDSGA Animal ID Committee Chairman Kenny Fox, Belvidere, many producers have recently read or heard USDA's latest public relations message--a guarantee that animal ID will be voluntary at the federal level. "What USDA isn't telling producers is this: the states are being asked to carry out the original wishes of USDA by implementing statewide mandatory animal ID programs." Fox says that USDA sent the "cooperative agreements" to the state animal health departments in late November and asked that they be signed and returned by Dec. 18, 2006.

So, I am not the only one worried about the Federal Governments aim here. They want the states to do the dirty work so they can appear to keep their hands clean. Do they really think that we out here in the country are this stupid?

We need to maintain our vigilance to our state Legislators to make sure they don't slip through a Pro-NAIS bill. Eternal vigilance is the key to our freedom.