No Mandatory Animal ID

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.

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.

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.

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.

The other day I come across a post talking about opposition to NAIS that had this quote in it.

the public outcry in support of National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is comparable only to the public outcry in opposition to NAIS.

I very politely posted that following comment.

You make the statement, "public outcry in support of National Animal Identification System (NAIS)." I was wondering if you can support this statement with facts. I have never seen anywhere where there is public support for this. The government would lead us to believe there is but I have never actually seen it. I would appreciate the facts to back up your statement.

I have yet to receive any answer from the person that posted this, cyoung-puyear, and am still waiting. Is this such a hard question to answer? Support your position with facts please. Where is this "public outcry" in support of NAIS? Can anybody out there answer this question for me.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, it just causes people to lie in support of the position.

Walter at NoNAIS.org brings us some interesting information about the need for NAIS. All along the government has proclaimed that Nais is necessary to control diseases like BSE. According to the US Food and Drug Administration;

Are the protective measures in place sufficient to ensure the safety of the human food supply in light of the June 2005 BSE positive cow?

Yes, the protective measures put into place in July 2004 by FDA ensure that cattle materials that carry the highest risk of transmitting the agent that causes BSE are excluded from human food, including dietary supplements, and cosmetics. These measures, along with similar measures established by USDA, provide a uniform national BSE policy and ensure the safety of human food.

Is the food in the U.S. likely to be a BSE risk to consumers?

FDA and other federal agencies have had preventive measures in place to reduce the U.S. consumer's risk of exposure to any BSE-contaminated meat and food products. Since 1989, USDA has prohibited the importation of live animals and animal products from BSE-positive countries. Subsequently, USDA expanded the ban to include both countries with BSE and countries at risk for BSE. Since 1997, FDA has prohibited the use of most mammalian protein in the manufacture of ruminant feed. In 2004, FDA issued a rule prohibiting the use of certain cattle materials in human food and cosmetics, and USDA issued a rule prohibiting certain cattle materials from use as human food.

So, it seems that all measures are all ready in affect to protect the consumers from BSE. Why does the Government want the NAIS then? As a prelude to numbering all people in the US maybe. It's not as far fetched as you think.

An ID number never stopped a disease, it just gives the government more control over our lives.

Talk About Big Brother watching you- is anyone else upset about the NAIS?

I don't know, maybe its because I'm a little slow on the uptake, or maybe I don't follow national politics enough, but I just found out about the NAIS and I just can't even believe it! I called my daughter up as soon as I found out and she said she knew, she said they have been doing it in Europe already. For anyone out there who shares my ignorance, NAIS stands for the National Animal Identification System- a supposedly "voluntary" project aimed at "keeping our food supply safe" by tagging livestock with ID chips that can be tracked by satelite. I know this sounds like something out of a George Orwell novel, but the real plan is to make it mandatory by the year 2008.

The more people that open their eyes and find out about this the better. Glad to see more people being outraged by this. He even sees it's ultimate goal.

The really creapy thing about this is that they are also wanting to put ID chips in people, too.

Make more noise, let people know, we can change this.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure seems to motivate people.

State's livestock registration system on hold

State animal health commissioners, flooded with public comment, have opted to postpone indefinitely the start date of the livestock premises registration program.

The Texas Animal Health Commission chose to delay the proposed program, originally scheduled to become mandatory July 1, during a meeting Feb. 17 in Austin. Commissioners will take it up for consideration again during their next meeting, the date of which is pending based on finding a hotel with an adequately sized conference room, commission spokeswoman Carla Everett said.

This just shows that working together we can slow and stop this unjust law from taking affect. Good job Texans.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure motivates people to fight an unjust law.

AUSTRALIANS ANGERED OVER IDENTIFICATION RULES

Australian beef producers have hit out at the imposition of a mandatory livestock identification system, which they say erodes the sector’s competitiveness. The producers are angry that they have a mandatory system when other leading beef producers are introducing voluntary systems.

The USDA keeps pointing to Australia as the system we should emulate when it comes to National Animal Identification System (NAIS) but the Australians don't appear to be very happy with their system. The articles main concern deals with the statement I've read from the USDA that states "there won't be a mandatory ID program by 2009, as previously announced."

I hate to tell the Australians, but that statement doesn't mean there won't be a mandatory system, it just means there won't be one in 2009. The USDA might wait until 2010 or jump up the time frame and make it 2008. Mandatory NAIS is way to important to the meat packers for the USDA to abandon the whole concept unless a lot of pressure from people is laid at their feet. Contact your Congressmen out the NAIS issue and let them know your concern. Maybe together we can get this stopped.

Remember, an ear tag never stopped a disease, it just makes the Australians mad at us.

Why does NAIS have to be mandatory? Why can't we have a market driven voluntary system? One of the main reasons given for the formation of NAIS is that export markets demand this. If this is the case why not let the market drive the solution?

If foreign countries demand this the meat exporters should pay more money for meat that is source verified via ID. Using beef as an example, this premium would theoretically then be passed down through the feeder to the cow-calf producer and would give the cow-calf man a monetary incentive to source ID their cattle. This would then be a market driven way for all in the supply chain to make a little extra money per animal. The present mandatory system as now envisioned will only cost more money for all but the meat exporters who gain from the system.

That's why the meat exporters/meat packers are so behind this mandatory system. It is only a win-win situation for them and the cow-calf man will be the ultimate loser since the majority of the cost of the system will be on them.

The other big reason for the Mandatory NAIS is for disease track back purpose. A market driven voluntary system will accomplish the same thing as the mandatory one, assuming there is as much demand for source verified animals as we are led to believe, since most animals will be involved because the producers will want the market premium.

A voluntary system will do the same thing as the mandatory one without penalizing producers of the animals. The US is known worldwide for the health of its animal herds so the chimera of disease prevention is just that, a myth to sell the idea to society at large. We need to call the USDA n this myth and demand a voluntary system through our Congressmen. Write, call, visit do whatever you can to bring this issue out into the light of day for everybody to examine.

A ID number never stopped a disease, it just gives the government control over your life and property.

The Real Deal: Tagging Terrorist Chickens

Agribusiness lobbied the USDA to create a system to protect them from legal liability if an epidemic does break out. More, NAIS would protect agribusiness market share, forestalling a public revulsion against their product by “confirming” that only a few animals were sick, rather than not thousands. NAIS enables huge agribusiness conglomerates that concentrate thousands of animals (and so concentrate the chance for spreading diseases) to point their finger at someone else.

Here’s the scenario:

# People in Sheboygan get sick from something they ate.

# It’s determined the meat came from a local fast food joint.

# That fast food joint gets its meat from ABC cow factory.

# ABC cow factory buys cows from XYZ feedlots.

# Those feedlots had cows numbered 1q10 through 1q500 in their possession and those cows came from 15 small farms in suburban Tempe.

# Goodbye 15 small farms in suburban Tempe.

# Hello scapegoat for fast food joint, slaughterhouse, and feedlots.

Somebody besides me gets it. NAIS is the USDA/meat packing companies way of doing away with the small farmer and rancher. I might be overstating it a little but that's the way I see it. The author of this opinion piece has insightful vision to see it too.

I do have a serious question though. How does a person get people to care about this issue and do something about it? A few voices yelling and screaming about the issue and people just label you as a crackpot. Whether I'm cracked or not I don't know but I won't silence myself. But how do i effectively communicate my message? I'll think of something and keep working on it.

Remember, an ID number never stopped a disease.