No Mandatory Animal ID

I know, it has been a long time since I posted here. I've been monitoring things and maybe I should have commented earlier but I didn't so here goes.

Earlier this year the American Angus Association partnered up with the USDA on premise registration efforts. What I didn't know is that the USDA is paying money to them to do this. No wonder the Angus people went for it. I understand though that it might be backfiring on them a little bit. Members of the Angus association were going to try to bring up the issue at their annual meeting and get it repealed. Whether they were able to or not I haven't been able to find out but it does show that there is opposition to the leaders of the Angus Association on this issue and rightfully so.

What really brought my attention to this was the announcement that the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) was partnering up with the USDA for the same reason. Do you know how much the USDA is giving the NCBA for this "cooperative agreement?" Two million dollars. Yes, 2 million dollars of our taxpayer money so that the NCBA can try to con more people into registering their premise for animal ID.

I think the American Angus Association and the NCBA are both going to pay for this in members. They are going to lose members over this because so many people are opposed to NAIS.

I guess the question becomes, why is the USDA pushing premise registration so? Why are they spending all of this money for registration? If they get enough premise registrations are they going to go back to mandatory NAIS? This is what I am concerned about. We will have to wait and see and I will try to keep an eye on things. This issue hasn't gone away, it just is quiescent right now. What really worries me is what is going to happen with a new administration. That is definitely a wait and see.

Can anyone out there say "brain washing the young?"

National FFA Organization Promotes Value Of Animal Identification

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National FFA Organization today announced a partnership for a broad-based education in the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) for current FFA members and alumni. The cooperative agreement signed at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., will help promote the value of premises registration across the country.

Get them while they are young and brainwash them. Our Government at work for you training the next Nazi youth.

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.

A little review to start with. What is the purpose of NAIS and how is it going to be accomplished and who is the lead agency in it's implementation?

NAIS is a program by the USDA to allow them to track every animal in the US from birth to death. This is going to be done in cattle by means of an ear tag which even without the RFID technology will allow the USDA to figure out where a particular animal has been from the time of it's birth.

Why do I bring this up? I bring this up because of a little story about a South Dakota farmer and his experience with tagged cattle. It appears this farmer went to an auction yard and bought a bunch of calves to feed on his farm. He fed the calves until they were fat and then took them to the slaughter house for his pay day. He was in for a surprise though.

The packing plant would not pay him for seven head of his cattle and condemned the whole load of offal. Why? Because the seven head in question were Canadian cattle and were not supposed to be in this farmers possession.

"Unfortunately, it appears that USDA is not keeping track of the cattle being imported from Canada - under USDA's rules, these calves should never have been allowed to be sold in a South Dakota auction market. The Canadian officials apparently haven't been able to trace back the movements and origin of the calves, despite the official Canadian tags found in their ears." Fox said that USDA implemented a rule in 2005 to allow the importation of Canadian feeder cattle under 30 months of age, but only under very strict conditions.


"The cattle are supposed to enter the U.S. in sealed trucks and be transported directly to an identified feedlot. They are then to remain in the identified feedlot until they are hauled to a slaughter plant in a sealed truck," he said. "The fact that these calves showed up at a salebarn in South Dakota, were allowed to intermingle with U.S. cattle, and were not represented as Canadian cattle, indicates that USDA is not monitoring the very system it created.

The USDA wants to track all the cattle in the US, around 100 million cattle, and they can't even keep track of the small amount of cattle, I'm sure no more than 10 million, which come into the country from Canada. This is the perfect example of why NAIS is not going to work. The whole integrity of the program depends on the USDA being able to track these critters and here they prove on a smaller scale that they are incapable of doing just this.

Remember this example when the USDA official show up on your doorstep to sign you up for NAIS. Point out their proven inability to track cattle in the market system. See what they have to say about it. I bet they don't have an answer for you.

We finally hear from the NCBA/Meat Packers on the change to a voluntary ID from the USDA.

Cattle Editorial: USDA Puts Animal ID On Voluntary Track

For several years, NCBA members have consistently held that a national animal identification system is necessary, but can be better accomplished on a voluntary, market-driven, and producer-led basis. While a government-mandated and government-controlled system may seem like an easier and quicker solution, NCBA has never viewed this as the answer. We’ve always maintained that the industry could provide a more secure, confidential, and efficient solution that would be met with much less resistance and mistrust than a government mandate.

You know, Mike John really thinks a lot of himself. He takes all the credit for the NCBA for the USDA deciding to make NAIS voluntary.

As always, NCBA took a pragmatic stance on this issue – aimed not at gaining headlines or publicity, but simply at achieving positive results for cattlemen. That’s the approach that leads to long term success on major policy issues, and positive, productive solutions for the cattle industry.

Excuse me, I remember when the NCBA was all for mandatory NAIS and was a partner with the USDA in pushing it. Then there was enough of an outcry they backed off to a producer led system which still didn't satisfy the critics until they added voluntary to their program. They no more deserve credit for the change than pigs can fly. The producers that complained and made the NCBA change its policy deserve all the credit.

Now that the program is voluntary, what does Mike John say we should do?

At this time, one of the most critical areas in which the livestock industry needs to show improvement is premises registration. USDA Under Secretary Bruce Knight recently reported that 23 percent of premises nationwide are now registered, and the agency hopes to push that figure to 25 percent by 2007. While this represents modest progress, those figures tell me that premises registration needs a significant shot in the arm. USDA has updated its National Animal Identification System User Guide and premises registration materials, which are now available to cattlemen on line at: http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais. Along with its renewed emphasis on voluntary animal ID, these user-friendly tools should help USDA reach out to mainstream livestock producers. There will always be those who dig in their heels on the ID issue, but others simply need thorough, easy-to-access information to help them get started.

The cattle industry can certainly assist in this effort by better explaining the potential benefits of premises registration, as well as further steps that can be taken to register livestock movements and animal tracking data. These tools can help producers – both large and small – take advantage of value-added opportunities and improve their bottom line. But that process really begins with premises registration as a basic fundamental step. This isn’t confidential or sensitive data you’re providing. It’s really just contact and location information that can often be found in a phone book or other local directories.

So now that it's voluntary we should all march down to the USDA and sign up for the first step in giving up our rights, premise registration. If the information can be "found in a phone book or other local directories" as Mike John says, why do we need to go sign our premise up. The USDA has the information all ready and needs no help from us. The only thing they want from us is to voluntarily enslave ourselves to their system instead of standing up for our God given rights to reject their demands.

Mike Johns thinks is the first step to the profit opportunities that an ID program can bring. Show me the dollars. I had a long talk with the guy who buys my calves and feeds them and he was adamant that he did not want the critters to have an ID tag in them. The packers he sell to charge from $25-45 per head to scan the tag which kills his profit margin. If the packer or feeder won't pay for an animal with an ID tag, where is the profit opportunity for me. More money out of my pocket with no more coming in is a loss for me last time I checked So Mike John really needs a reality check.

THERE IS NO PROFIT OPPURTUNITY INVOLVED WITH ANIMAL ID, at this point. Yes, I admit that there might be profit some day but lets not put the cart before the horse. The profit might not be there for all of us. I remember quite a number of years ago the industry started a trend for producers like me to pre-condition calves before we sold them. We were told that this would bring us more money for our calves and that it was the way to go. I have resisted this movement to this day.

The reason why? I can profit fine without it. I sell my calves for the same price pre-conditioned calves of the same weight in my area sell for and I don't have the expense of pre-conditioning. Quality cattle don't need crutches like pre-conditioning or NAIS for a producer to make a profit. We can do it ourselves just fine. If I start losing money because I don't ID my calves then I can make the voluntary decision to register my place and ID my cattle. I don't need Mike John to tell me now is the time to register my place to show the USDA my good intentions.

Is this payoff to the USDA for making the program voluntary? You bet and Mike is trying to sell it to us.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, Mike John justs wants us to think it can.

Lawmakers seek to keep animal ID voluntary

Measures have been introduced in both the House and Senate to prohibit the USDA from developing a mandatory National Animal ID System.

Senator Jim Talent and Representative Jo Ann Emerson, each a Missouri Republican, introduced the measures in their respective chambers to make the system strictly voluntary.

The bill would prohibit the USDA from mandating livestock owner participation in an animal ID system, according to a news release from Senator Talent's office.

It would also address privacy concerns. Under the proposal, confidential records submitted to USDA by livestock owners would not be subject to any request under the Freedom of Information Act. In addition, they could only be shared with other departments under specific circumstances.

This is promising. The whole NAIS thing is happening in the corridors of the USDA without legislative oversight. This is a start of getting the appropriate oversight involved to control the USDA and their over reaching plan to track every critter in the US from birth to death. Call and/or write your Congressman and Senators to get on board and support these bills.

It's always interesting to hear what Secretary of Agriculture Johanns has to say about NAIS. But I found an interesting story about the questions he is not answering about NAIS. I thought I would share these facts.

For example, Johanns repeatedly dodged questions about whether USDA's intent was to make and maintain NAIS as a voluntary or mandatory program. He stressed it's a voluntary program today and believes a voluntary program is preferable.

You will note that the draft plan has it as mandatory and he appears to be dodging the question on whether it will be or not. He keeps saying that he would "prefer" it to be voluntary , but no assurances are coming from him.

Johanns also demurs from questions aimed at assessing what level of voluntary participation is required for effective animal-health trace-back.

This is when it would become mandatory, if there is not enough voluntary participation. At what level will this happen? He won't commit.

Similarly, Johanns will not provide an answer about the system's cost, other than alluding to the $83 million USDA has already poured into it. One reason may be no such estimate exists, despite repeated requests from the industry for a cost-benefit analysis.

In a separate one-on-one interview, Chief Veterinary Officer, John Clifford, was more specific, implying producers will be responsible for purchasing and applying NAIS tags. He pointed out no state is currently charging producers to register their premises with NAIS, which is a prerequisite to obtaining official NAIS tags.

He doesn't want to talk about what it will cost the industry and producers. Some of his underlings are, but not Johanns He just keeps spouting how much the USDA has spent. So, since the USDA has spent money on it we are going to be forced to do it? Sounds like Johanns plan.

Other key questions still unanswered:
Who guarantees confidentiality? For obvious reasons, producers are unlikely to provide any NAIS data if they believe it could be accessed by anyone other than state and federal animal-health officials. Johanns said, "I agree with livestock producers who believe information about your livestock is your business, period."

Again, in a separate interview, Clifford was more specific. He explains USDA has protected producer info from prying eyes and the Freedom of Information Act via the Privacy Act. However, state animal-health officials and others continue to emphasize the need for legislation at both levels aimed at protecting NAIS data specifically.

What about working group recommendations? Each livestock species devised its own working group to make NAIS recommendations to the Secretary of Ag. Those from the Cattle Industry Working Group were submitted months ago and have yet to receive approval or denial from USDA. That means anything beyond premises registration remains speculation. In turn, that means few producers are likely to begin tagging cattle with NAIS tags until species-specific recommendations are adopted.

Is it all for all and one for all? Cattle and swine are more advanced in NAIS development than any of the others. Some other species are just getting started, while others continue to dig their feet in against elements of the program. It's difficult to imagine cattle producers embracing a program like NAIS if other species are allowed to sit on the sidelines.

Do you know what you're talking about? The cooperative effort between the livestock industry and the state and federal animal-health officials charged with protecting those industries emphasized the need for a national system for animal health purposes. Yet Johanns continues to harp on his belief the market will drive NAIS adoption, that there are already economic incentives in the domestic and international markets to provide ID.

All kinds of questions left unanswered by Johanns. Why is that? Scared because he doesn't want the industry figuring out what that this is against there interests? That's what I think, he doesn't want to be caught in a lie but can't tell the truth. Pretty uncomfortable position.

This final one really takes the cake. It has nothing to do with Johanns comments.

Perhaps the most positive outcome of the meeting was a public display of the livestock industry's ongoing resolve to develop and implement a national animal ID system for the purpose of protecting the nation's livestock. In an informal survey of the 600 meeting participants, 78% believe such a system is so imperative to protecting the livestock industry that it should be made mandatory.

In the opinion of the author of the piece, it is a positive outcome that some 78% of people at the conference think it should be mandatory. That is not the feeling out in the country. But what do you expect the outcome of the survey to be at a conference designed to promote NAIS. People that don't believe in it were not going to attend, only the full fledged supporters were there.

Keep those letters and phone calls going. Let your elected Representatives know how dangerous this is and how it needs derailed. Working together this can be stopped.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure has Johanns avoiding the hard questions.

It looks like the Government is fighting back against people like me talking about NAIS. Check out this grant being offered by the USDA and why it's being offered.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-GRANTS-051106-001
Posted Date: May 11, 2006
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jul 25, 2006
Current Closing Date for Applications: Jul 25, 2006
Archive Date: Aug 24, 2006
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity: Agriculture
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 111
Estimated Total Program Funding: $10,882,000
Award Ceiling:
Award Floor:
CFDA Number: 10.025 -- Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

Eligible Applicants

State governments
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)


Additional Information on Eligibility:


Agency Name

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Description

USDA initiated implementation of the NAIS in 2004. The Department’s first priority with the initial funding in FY2004 was to have the components of the national premises registration system in place in every State by July 2005. With this accomplished, the next step was to use FY2005 funds to increase the number of registered eligible premises in each State. As of April, 2006, over 245,000 premises have been registered nationwide, or approximately twelve percent of the estimated number that are eligible. Funding for FY2006 will be provided to State and Native American Tribal governments to support the continued implementation and maintenance of the national premises identification system and NAIS within their respective areas. We would like to achieve a national target for premises registration of fifteen percent by July, 2006, twenty five percent by January, 2007, and thirty five percent by July, 2007. Since the majority of premises will be registered in a voluntary system, it is critical that we provide all individuals, business, and organizations a correct and consistent message about how they will benefit from NAIS and their responsibility to participate. Misinformation and adverse publicity has been somewhat detrimental to the adoption of NAIS in many areas of the country. USDA is working with States, organizations, and other stakeholders to develop appropriate educational and outreach materials. Applications for cooperative agreement funding must include an aggressive plan for education and outreach, including effective use of existing outreach resources such as cooperative extension, state AVIC offices, and state industry organizations, to stakeholders at all levels within the state or tribe. This funding opportunity does NOT include funds for conducting pilot projects to develop solutions for animal identification and/or collecting animal movement data. Similarly, funds are not to be used for the purchase of animal identification devices, animal movement data recording hardware or software, or the development of animal tracking databases. Animal movement tracking will be developed, implemented, and funded within the private and/or State/Tribal sector.

Over 10 million dollars being offered to fight "Misinformation and adverse publicity has been somewhat detrimental to the adoption of NAIS in many areas of the country. USDA is working with States, organizations, and other stakeholders to develop appropriate educational and outreach materials." My-O-My. They are sure running awful scared from the truth being spoken by people such as me doing this all on their own with a shoestring budget.

I guess the truth spoken with conviction outweighs legions of money, or so I hope.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but the Government hopes tons of money will stop me.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Voluntary:
1 : proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent
2 : unconstrained by interference : SELF-DETERMINING
3 : done by design or intention : INTENTIONAL (voluntary manslaughter)
4 : of, relating to, subject to, or regulated by the will (voluntary behavior)
5 : having power of free choice
6 : provided or supported by voluntary action (a voluntary organization)
7 : acting or done of one's own free will without valuable consideration or legal obligation

Cattle might get individual ID numbers

U.S. livestock might soon receive individual identification numbers in a voluntary plan to prevent the spread of mad cow and other diseases.

NAIS Plan from USDA

• January 2009: Reporting of defined animal movements required; entire program mandatory.

I will point out the news story says the program will be voluntary, proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent, and the USDA's plan is it to be mandatory. Who is fooling who here. Do they really think I am this stupid to buy into their propaganda that NAIS will be voluntary? Just keep remembering magical word mandatory in the NAIS plan and don't buy the propaganda. The USDA will try anything to control the lives and property of what they consider to be their serfs, the farmers and ranchers of the US.

An ear tag never stopped a disease, but it sure drives the government propaganda machine.

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.