No Mandatory Animal ID

NFU opposes Animal ID program

The National Animal ID Program being proposed by USDA is being criticized by the National Farmers Union (NFU). President Tom Buis told Brownfield the government is headed down the wrong track. “They are headed for a disaster,” said Buis. He was particularly critical of the use of a public/private database system to track the movement of livestock.

Buis feels allowing private firms to profit from the creation and use of the database system is wrong. “I think they should go back to the drawing board and start over,” he suggested. The USDA has set a goal of having the system on line by 2007 and fully operational by 2009.

Liberty Ark Coalition Forms to Fight Animal ID

A broad-based coalition has been formed to oppose the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) as it is presently proposed. "We're calling the project The Liberty Ark Coalition," says Karin Bergener, an Ohio attorney who helped form the coalition. "We hope the Liberty Ark will save our animals, and our farms from unnecessary government intrusion."

The USDA sponsored program would require every premises which houses even a single chicken, duck, turkey, cow, pig, goat, horse, or any other animal considered to be livestock, to be registered in a government database, and assigned a seven-digit number and GPS coordinates. The premises owner may be required to pay a fee for the privilege.

The next phase would require every animal to be tagged with a radio frequency identification device or microchipped, also paid for by the owner. Finally, the movement of any animal from the registered premises would have to be reported within 24 hours. The program would be enforced, possibly with fines and even criminal penalties. The USDA has said that the program is currently voluntary, but if 100% of all farmers don't volunteer to participate, USDA will make it mandatory.

"The program is designed to track the source of a sick animal," says Meritt Lamb, a Tennessee magazine editor who also helped form the coalition. "But it will do nothing to prevent diseased animals from entering the food supply chain, nor will it address the problem of identifying imported meat products that enter the food supply chain." Lamb is typical of thousands of small land owners who keep a few chickens, an occasional steer or pig or goat for their own use, who will be severely impacted by the USDA program.

"This program will devastate county fairs, and 4H and Future Farmers of America projects, through which children learn how to care for, and show, their animals," says Randy Givens, a retired army colonel and coalition founder who resides in Texas. "It will kill the rodeo circuit. These programs have been successful for generations; the NAIS will wipe them out because it is simply not worth the effort, or cost, to register, tag, and report every animal that moves to a show or a county fair, or to a rodeo."

Judith McGeary, an attorney in Texas and founder of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/), says "We believe the Liberty Ark Coalition will bring together thousands of organizations and individuals from diverse backgrounds and beliefs who can make a difference. But it will take everyone, working together."

The Liberty Ark Coalition website is http://libertyark.net.

Animal-tracking system worries small farmers

A national animal-identification system, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to fully implement by 2009, will financially burden small farmers, says Louisa County farmer Ramona Huff.

It is not only the cost of the identification tags, but also the record-keeping and the prospect of fines for not complying with the system's requirements that could put small farmers at a disadvantage, Huff said.

It worries more than small farmers, large ones are worried too. Between the cost and the record keeping requirements it is real scary to me. That's why we need to fight this by writing our elected officials and voicing our complaints. Keep jup the pressure.

An ear tag never stopped a disease bit it sure scare farmers and ranchers.

RFID vulnerable to attacks, researchers say

Researchers say they have proven that effective attacks can be launched against radio frequency identification tags.

In tests, standard "Generation 1" RFID tags and readers were unable to function after they were overloaded with data, researchers at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, said in a report published this month.

"Vulnerabilities in the newer UHF style of RFID tags have been found and are of concern for anyone trying to implement an RFID system that would have 'mission critical' or human life issues involved in it," warned academics in the SCISSEC research group at the university.

Yet more trouble with the vaunted RFID tags that are supposed to solve all the perceived problems people see with the cattle industry. This is different than the virus I reported on earlier and yet another way the tags fail to meet expectations. How does the government expect this system to work so wonderfully with such problems being found with the tags?

Simple, they don't, they just want to get more fingers in our business, as if they don't have enough all ready, to control us for their benefits.

serf: a member of a servile feudal class bound to the soil and subject to the will of his lord

Yea, that's what they want, serfs. We need to oppose NAIS before we all servile to our Lord the government and do whatever they want.

An ear tag never stopped a disease but it sure exposes the flaws in the tags and our government.

USDA Outlines Plan, Benchmarks for National Animal ID Implementation

A new proposal from USDA outlines timelines and benchmarks for the establishment of the National Animal Identification System, along with a plan for the initial integration of private and state animal tracking databases with NAIS. Over the next two and a half years USDA wants 100% of premises registered and new animals identified and 60% of animals less than a year old to have complete movement data.

This may look like a story about the USDA's plan for NAIS. I don't think it is though. It is more of a threat to those of us opposing this that if the goals of the plan aren't met it will become mandatory.

Johanns says the benchmarks are important to determine "when or if we need to do a mandatory approach," he explains. "As we hit those benchmarks, we'll see how we're doing."

The secretary continued to stress the need for industry support for a national system. If only 50% is participating, it won't get the job done, he says.

If USDA finds the voluntary approach isn't working, Johanns explains it has the authority to change the system into a mandatory one without Congress writing new legislation.

What are the goals that have to met to make sure it's not mandatory? 100% participation in the plan. Hell, even if you make it mandatory you will not have 100% participation. Take something as simple as a drivers license, people drive without them all the time and take the chance of getting caught. NAIS will be the same way even if mandatory. So simply, this is Johanns threatening those of us opposing Mandatory NAIS. Is the threat going to work? I will still keep making noise against it so it won't stop me, how about you?

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but the government sure wants to convince us otherwise.

Congress To Include Livestock ID System In 07 Farm Bill

U.S. lawmakers intend to take on the responsibility of improving how the U.S. will operate a nation-wide livestock identification program - a tool to control outbreaks of animal diseases - when Congress writes the 2007 Farm Bill, even if that means delays, a key U.S. senator said Thursday.

Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., told reporters: "This is an issue we're going to deal with in the Farm Bill," and added it is more important to delay the process and "make sure we do it right."

It's more important than ever to get your voice raised and contact your Congressmen on NAIS issues. Too many of them are having their ears bent by the meat packing industry and they need to hear from producers that NAIS as conceived is not the right way. An option would be a metal tag herd ID system which would be less expensive, less intrusive, and easier for producers to manage. Let you voices be heard. Write, call, make noise now.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it is going to make it into the Farm Bill if we don't act now.

I think Mike John, President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), really needs to get a clue about what cattle producers want.

Livestock National ID Sign-ups S-l-u-g-g-i-s-h

The president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says in states where premises identification is not mandatory, enrollment has been painfully slow in establishing what will eventually become a national age, process and source verification system.

This, despite the fact many producers may already have the information needed for animal certification. "A very small percentage of producers have actually received a premises number," says 2006 NCBA President Mike John. "I don't know why that is. Every state has access to a Web-based premises allocation system. If people are worried about the government having access to that information, it already does."

If Premise Identification enrollment has been slow, maybe there is a reason for it. Like people think it's an unreasonable Government intrusion into their business. Of course in states where it's mandatory it's going well according to Mike John. Yea, you take a large stick and beat producers over the head and tell them they have to enroll in this "voluntary" program administered by the Meat Packers, through the US Animal Identification Organization, or they will be fined and wonder why enrollment is going well.

Mike John just doesn't get that he is a shill for the Meat Packers and is not working for the best interests of the Cattle Industry. I plan on being in the cattle business and I will wait until the USDA/NCBA/Meat Packers (they are all one outfit) forces me to get mine through law and do it under coercion. It's wrong and everybody knows it but whether we can turn this train or not is still in question.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure doesn't stop the government and their shills from pushing unwise policy down cattle producers throats.

It looks to me like more and more people are waking up to the threat Nais means to us all. In Alabama a candidate for Governor is speaking out against NAIS and in Tennessee a lawmaker is fighting the Governor and administration to stop NAIS and go with the more sensible metal tag herd ID. This would be like the present Bangs tag and identify a cow to a herd. New herd, add another tag. Easy, no muss, no fuss. Traceable if necessary for BSE or any other disease.

The problem with this idea in most people's minds? It's not "high-tech." It's a simple idea all ready in use which could be adapted at low cost for herd ID. The right solution for the right problem.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure brings interesting ideas to the front burner.

A while ago I talked about the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) circulating petitions in opposition to NAIS. I just heard from Carrie Stadheim Executive Director of the SDSGA on this issue and wanted to share some interesting information that was passed on to me.

It seems that after the SDSGA launched it's petiton drive the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, the paper from the largest city in South Dakota, chastised the SDSGA for circulating these petitions. I would be more than happy to link the editorial if the Argus Leader allowed it but they seem to have a policy that you have to pay for articles older than 7 days from the present so I can't link it. I will provide the text of the editorial here in it's entirity, as given to me, unedited for all to see.

Article Published: 03/4/06, 3:42 am

Forget the petitions.
(by: Sioux Falls Argus Leader Editorial Board)

A national livestock ID system is coming, and we need it - regardless what the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association says.

The association is gathering signatures on a petition to oppose the program.

"We've got the ability to track our livestock right now. Why in the world would our government want to impose the most burdensome and expensive mandate upon the most independent and low-profit segment of the beef supply chain, the cattle producer?" asked Kenny Fox of Belvidere, chairman of the association's Animal ID Committee.

Having the "ability" and doing it can be two different things. The tracking system is akin to Gov. Mike Rounds' South Dakota Certified Beef program - which seeks to prove to everyone that our beef is produced in a certain way and that we know its origin.

This isn't about expensive mandates. It's about mad cow disease and proving to everyone - especially foreign buyers - that we know what's going on with our livestock.

If we already were doing everything we could, there wouldn't be widespread support for this across the country. Support from consumers, if not producers.

We're going to have a national ID program. The only question is what form it will take.

This petition is stirring producers up, when there's not a prayer of it accomplishing anything.

SDSGA responded to the paper with a letter of thier own but at this time the Argus Leader has seen unfit to print the response. I post it here for all to read and enjoy.

Our Response:
Dear Editors,

I received your recent editorial about animal id via e-mail.

I’m curious what makes your editorial board so knowledgeable regarding the U.S. cattle industry’s “needs.” (“A national livestock ID system is coming, and we need it - regardless what the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association says.”) After all – our members are ranchers who make a living raising cattle – what expertise do your editors claim in cattle production?

Producers from Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and all over South Dakota are circulating petitions. Obviously they believe the proposed id program brings with it more costs than benefits.

You mention that having the ability to track cattle and actually doing it are two different things. You’re right, but obviously the two are not mutually exclusive. It just so happens that brand inspection areas such as Western South Dakota are not only capable of tracking our cattle, we ARE DOING it already. Every day. We record movement of cattle every time they change ownership or travel outside of Western South Dakota. In fact, when Canada discovered their very first case of BSE, the Montana Department of Livestock contacted our chief brand inspector about some bulls that had been sold from Canada into Montana, and subsequently into South Dakota. The bulls were half brothers to the infected cow. Within about three hours, our chief brand inspector called the Montana department back with full details about the movements of each bull, all the way to slaughter. And the Governor of Montana commended him with a personal letter of thanks.

Tattoos are another nearly permanent and very low-cost method of identification. Several states still require brucellosis tags and tattoos on breeding stock, and while S.D. is not one of those states, a good share of S.D. producers bangs vaccinate, tag and tattoo their breeding herd - yet another tracking system already in existence.

I hate to burst your bubble, but sticking a tag in an animal’s ear DOES NOT provide any sort of assurance of quality or animal health. Industry integrity and profitability all the way from the producer to the retailer, is the ONLY thing that can provide that assurance. Contrary to the boasts made by supporters of the NAIS, tags can be cut out, lost and tampered with. A brand is forever.

You say that this is about proving to foreign customers that “we know what’s going on with our livestock.” How does a tag prove that? Obviously USDA has tainted our credibility with Japan by allowing shipment of bone-in beef. This had absolutely nothing to do with the presence or absence of a tag, and everything to do with a lackadaisical agency who is a “watchdog” only when it’s convenient and politically acceptable to the multinational food companies.

And I’d like to see proof of your alleged “support from consumers” for a mandatory animal id system. Our organization has yet to talk to a consumer who would feel safer buying beef from a steer that lived its life with a computer chip in its ear. You might not be aware that the proposed national animal id program is not intended to provide one shred of information to consumers. No farm, state or country of origin labeling information. Nothing. Consumers would still be unable to identify whether the hamburger in their grocery cart bearing that same old USDA stamp is a product of Canada, Japan, Mexico, Ecuador or all of the above.

Consumers have teamed up with grassroots producers to lobby diligently for mandatory country of origin labeling, yet have been out-dollared and out-maneuvered by the meat packing giants and their pocket politicians. The reader responses on your website regarding this issue indicate that consumers want country of origin labeling, not necessarily animal id.

I maintain that the only supporters of an unnecessary mandatory animal identification program are the companies who stand to sell billions of dollars worth of equipment, the USDA who wants a feather in their cap by deceptively claiming that they are somehow “managing disease” and the large meatpacking companies who want ever more information about the location, age and number of livestock worldwide to give them more control over the market.

If the USDA would protect our borders from unsafe imports of beef and cattle, the threat of a disease outbreak would substantially decline.

I look forward to continued correspondence,

Kenny Fox

It sure seems like the Editorial Staff of the Argus Leader got their hand slapped hard on this one. Probably why they won't print the response.

The SDSGA is taking the right tack on the NAIS. Fight it and fight it hard. Don't be afraid to come out swinging. I applaud them and hope more orginazations take the same tack.

An eartag never stopped a disease, but it sure gets an industry up in arms.

Hey, the Farm & Garden website is running a poll on whether NAIS is a good idea or not. Go over and voice your opinion. Right now it's running about 92% opposed to NAIS. Maybe your vote will change things.

An ear tag never stopped a disease.

Otero livestock group asks county to oppose ID system

The chairman of the Otero County Grazing Advisory Board is calling the National Animal Identification System "devastating to the livestock industry in the state."

Rancher Bobby Jones told Otero County commissioners Tuesday that grazing board members unanimously approved a resolution opposing NAIS in February. The measure identifies and tracks animals using a computer chip implanted under the animal's skin, a computer chip ear tag, and a retina scan.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared NAIS will be mandatory by 2009.

Jones asked commissioners to support the livestock organization's resolution. The document states the program violates the First, Fourth, Fifth, 10th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

"We feel like the USDA does not have authority or jurisdiction to do this," Jones said.

He said he is not opposed to ranchers who want to voluntarily participate, but pointed out that cattle brands used in New Mexico "have sufficed for over a hundred years" as a means of identifying animals.

I am glad to see more and more cattle ranchers opposing this measure. We need to make noise about the NAIS system and get it stopped.

Government's idea of 'tracking' animals

Reaction to the National Animal Identification System is shining a light on a growing problem that independent producers believe is threatening the entire livestock industry. Vertical marketing practices in the meat processing industry, combined with the industry's access to and influence on the Department of Agriculture and Congress, has the small producer against the ropes. The NAIS may be the final blow that puts independent ranchers and small farmers down for the count.

There is nothing particularly new here about National Animal Identification System (NAIS), just the same information hopefully reaching more and more people to help fight this plan. Just more information how NAIS is driven by the meat packers to further consolidate the market, and how they are using their money to influence the USDA and Congress to do their bidding.

There is strong belief among producers that the NAIS has little to do with food safety and much more to do with providing data for agribusiness. One farmer says "... agribusiness giants will then have access to all of the information on the [NAIS] database. They will have knowledge about all sources and supplies of commodity animals. They will use such information to improve their ongoing practice of captive supply and market price manipulation."

He is convinced that "The USDA has become the conscript of agribusiness. All key positions at the USDA are now held by former agribusiness people or their minions."

Funny, I've been saying the same thing all along. The Meat packers have bought and payed for the USDA and expect it to do their bidding to the detriment of the farmers, ranchers, and consumers of the USA. Either somebody is listening to me, I'm listening to someone else, or thew facts are so obvious that everybody in the industry knows this to be true. I personally think it's the last on, it's painfully obvious what's going on, getting things changed is the next problem to solve.

Sonce the problem of the big Agribusiness companies taking control of the USDA first surfaced in 1993 with Mike Espy this isn't a problem that can only be laid at the feet of King George Bush. Bill Clinton was also involved in letting the big meat packers have their way in the USDA and hurting all of us. The solution is going to take an awful big broom at the USDA, along with the political will to use it, to clean out all the influence the Agribusiness companies have and to turn the agency around to helping America's agriculture, not just helping the meat packers to the detriment of us all.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it might lead to an awakening of the public to corporate control of our Government.

It's even more important to write your Congressmen about NAIS and your opposition to it. Enough noise is being made in opposition to the USDA and it's NAIS that Congress now wants to pass a law implementing it against the people's will.

Congress To Include Livestock ID System In 07 Farm Bill

U.S. lawmakers intend to take on the responsibility of improving how the U.S. will operate a nation-wide livestock identification program - a tool to control outbreaks of animal diseases - when Congress writes the 2007 Farm Bill, even if that means delays, a key U.S. senator said Thursday.

Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., told reporters: "This is an issue we're going to deal with in the Farm Bill," and added it is more important to delay the process and "make sure we do it right."

Keep writing, keep calling, we have to let our Representatives know that this is wrong and violates the constitution in many ways. Make noise, be heard.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure can create a lot of controversy.

So how safe are these RFID tags we are supposed to use from tampering?

RFID Viruses and Worms

Up until now, everyone working on RFID technology has tacitly assumed that the mere act of scanning an RFID tag cannot modify back-end software, and certainly not in a malicious way. Unfortunately, they are wrong. In our research, we have discovered that if certain vulnerabilities exist in the RFID software, an RFID tag can be (intentionall) infected with a virus and this virus can infect the backend database used by the RFID software. From there it can be easily spread to other RFID tags.

So, an infected tag could infect the whole database of livestock the USDA wants to set up and comprise the database in some way. Really makes you feel safe about the whole system doesn't it.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it gives the terrorists another way to harm our food supply.

Where does the problem lie with opening up the markets across the sea to US Beef? With the Cattleman not ID tagging their animals or the big meat packers who keep shipping meat overseas that doesn't meet the standards for importation into other countries?

HK suspends beef imports from U.S. processing plant

Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced on Saturday that it would suspend immediately beef imports from Swift Beef Company, a processing plant in Colorado of the United States.

The decision was made following the discovery of beef imports with bones from that plant during last night's inspections by FEHD' s Airport Food Inspection Office, a department spokesman said.

"Beef imports from the United States was resumed on Dec. 29 last year. According to an agreed protocol, only boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age, with high risk materials such as brain and spinal cord removed during slaughtering, could be imported from designated plants approved by the United States.

"We will contact the relevant authorities for more information concerning the beef imports in question," he said.

We lose Japan as a market because a meat packer shipped banned items and now another market is at risk for the same reason. The USDA/meat packers need to fix their problem before it drives the whole cattle business under water.

So, how would the ear tag the USDA/meat packers want to mandate I use to help keep foreign markets open, prevent the meat packer from stupidly shipping meat with bone pieces in it to a foreign country that doesn't allow it? You got it, it doesn't. The meat packers need to step up sanitation and inspections in their plants if they want to maintain foreign markets, not drive the producers in this country out of business with this NAIS scheme.

Look to your own house first before you come into mine to fix your problem. I can't fix things you break.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but the USDA/meat packers sure like to use it as an excuse for their problems.