Please send in comments before comment period ends.
USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAIS – USDA Proposed Rule January 13, 2009
As some of you farmers may be already aware, to the farmers that are not aware the USDA has issued a proposed rule that would mandate NAIS premises registration and animal identification numbers for several of the key federal disease control programs. The Proposed Rule docket can be found at:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-353.htm
The Comment Period Runs Until March 16, 2009
You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal:
Go To This Website to submit comments or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. Please state your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2007-00096
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmpublic...PHIS-2007-0096
Postal Mail / Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket
No. APHIS-2007-0096, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A-03.8 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD. 20737-1238.
Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its program is available
On the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
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USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
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USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
by Copperhead on 24 Jan 2009 21:03
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Copperhead - Iron Viking
- Posts: 661
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Re: USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
by Jeepwidow on 06 May 2009 09:38
The following is an email I received from one of my friends in the Ozarks-this is a cause close to both our hearts! STop NAIS!
USDA gets ready to destroy small farms
Like I have been saying all along, these people mean business and are going to force you to ''register'' your farm if you want to raise food [livestock]. This will allow them full access to your private property to ensure compliance [searches and seizures], even if you don't have any disease! It could be bad records, lost ear tags, non-compliance, and on and on. We already have programs that work for God's sake! They can go anywhere now if there is disease, they want this for total control and money, this is out of control Government at it's worst!
This program will drain Billions of dollars from the millions of small farmers in America! They get rich, you get poor, this is how NAIS will work. We have done the math, it will destroy small farmers! One goat, one horse, one pig, anything that can get sick will be registered, chipped, and tracked, no exceptions!
Costs? Chips, labor, computer sytems, readers, extra hours in sale barns for animals getting RFID chips read, record keeping for 14 events within 24 hours [full traceability]. Costs for data base holders and employees, costs for USDA employees to run the programs, costs everywhere in the billions but THEY say it will make everyone more money because it will ''protect us in case''. I could go on and on with costs and labor issues, not to mention the constitutional violations.
Again, they get everyone to testify that supports it. NOT ONE SMALL PRODUCER WAS THERE!
This is your future! If you raise your food or eat food, you need to pay attention!
This will devastate small producers and run them out of business because they won't do the mountain of costs and regulations! If you are a small farmer, you will be out of business, if you are a consumer, I hope they give you bailout money to buy your food because you won't have enough after they destroy 30% of our food supply!
Please join with me to stop NAIS! Call, write, and for God's sake VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF OFFICE AND FIRE THE REST OF THESE SOCIALISTS/FACISTS!
Bob Parker
Lifetime Rancher/farmer/ in Missouri
Realtor
Please pass this on to everyone on your lists...most have not even heard of NAIS!
for more information go to www.nonais.org
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 8:34 PM
Subject: Joint Subcommittee Reviews National Animal Identification System
There was a dual committee hearing on NAIS in the fed House today. Personally, I find the quites from both chairs repugnant to both freedom and reason.
Doreen
"It's dangerous to be right when your government is wrong"==Voltaire
News from the House Agriculture Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 5, 2009
Media Contact: Scott Kuschmider (Agriculture) (202) 225-1496
Dena Graziano (Homeland Security) (202) 226-2616
Joint Subcommittee Reviews National Animal Identification System
WASHINGTON- Today, two House Subcommittees held a joint public hearing to review the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
The Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, chaired by Representative David Scott of Georgia, and the Homeland
Security's Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, chaired by Representative Yvette Clarke of
New York, held a joint hearing to examine the identification system's role in protecting U.S. producers and consumers from the
effects of an animal disease outbreak.
"The National Animal Identification System is a producer's insurance against the potentially devastating economic impacts of a
widespread animal disease epidemic," said Chairman Scott. "A robust animal ID system with full traceability provides protection by
helping to preserve producer market access, because it will allow us to more quickly isolate problem animals and stop the spread of
illness. This in turn will allow us to demonstrate to other nations that the U.S. herd is safe and reopen those markets to U.S.
goods."
"I want to stress that our ability to effectively assess and respond to an animal disease outbreak remains limited until we have a
functioning animal ID system in place," said Chairwoman Clarke. "This issue requires our urgent attention."
"Today we heard from witnesses about the need for an effective animal identification system," said Agriculture Committee Chairman
Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota. "While such a system is not intended to prevent a disease outbreak, it is a vital tool that can
help trace, track, and quarantine infected animals in case such an outbreak occurs. Identifying the source of an outbreak and
mitigating its effects will save taxpayers in the long run and keep our export markets open."
"The emergence of new viruses further demonstrates our need to not only be prepared to react to disease outbreaks, but to also
undertake the necessary mitigation and research efforts that allow us to stay one step ahead," said Committee on Homeland Security
Chairman Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi. "Animal identification is the first step in being able to trace animals and respond to
animal health emergencies."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established NAIS in 2004 to enhance its existing animal health protection efforts by
offering national standards and expanding the level of participation beyond what had been required in existing disease programs.
The Joint Subcommittee heard testimony from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the overseer of NAIS, as well as the
Homeland Security Department's Office of Health Affairs, which works with federal agency and State, local, tribal and private sector
partners to assist in protecting the nation's critical infrastructure relating to food, agriculture, and veterinary resources.
State health, food safety and agriculture officials also testified about NAIS and State-administered animal identification efforts.
Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the House Agriculture Committee website at:
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html. A full transcript of the hearing will be posted online at a later date.
Witness List:
Panel I
Dr. John R. Clifford, Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Thomas McGinn, Chief Veterinarian, Office of Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
Panel II
Dr. David C. Smith, Assistant Director, Division of Animal Industry, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Albany,
New York
Dr. Jerry R. Gillespie, Former Director of Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, University of California, Davis, Hopland,
California
Mr. Kevin M. Kirk, Special Assistant to the Division Director, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Animal Industry Division,
Lansing, Michigan
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture web site http://agriculture.house.gov has additional information on this and other subjects.
USDA gets ready to destroy small farms
Like I have been saying all along, these people mean business and are going to force you to ''register'' your farm if you want to raise food [livestock]. This will allow them full access to your private property to ensure compliance [searches and seizures], even if you don't have any disease! It could be bad records, lost ear tags, non-compliance, and on and on. We already have programs that work for God's sake! They can go anywhere now if there is disease, they want this for total control and money, this is out of control Government at it's worst!
This program will drain Billions of dollars from the millions of small farmers in America! They get rich, you get poor, this is how NAIS will work. We have done the math, it will destroy small farmers! One goat, one horse, one pig, anything that can get sick will be registered, chipped, and tracked, no exceptions!
Costs? Chips, labor, computer sytems, readers, extra hours in sale barns for animals getting RFID chips read, record keeping for 14 events within 24 hours [full traceability]. Costs for data base holders and employees, costs for USDA employees to run the programs, costs everywhere in the billions but THEY say it will make everyone more money because it will ''protect us in case''. I could go on and on with costs and labor issues, not to mention the constitutional violations.
Again, they get everyone to testify that supports it. NOT ONE SMALL PRODUCER WAS THERE!
This is your future! If you raise your food or eat food, you need to pay attention!
This will devastate small producers and run them out of business because they won't do the mountain of costs and regulations! If you are a small farmer, you will be out of business, if you are a consumer, I hope they give you bailout money to buy your food because you won't have enough after they destroy 30% of our food supply!
Please join with me to stop NAIS! Call, write, and for God's sake VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF OFFICE AND FIRE THE REST OF THESE SOCIALISTS/FACISTS!
Bob Parker
Lifetime Rancher/farmer/ in Missouri
Realtor
Please pass this on to everyone on your lists...most have not even heard of NAIS!
for more information go to www.nonais.org
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 8:34 PM
Subject: Joint Subcommittee Reviews National Animal Identification System
There was a dual committee hearing on NAIS in the fed House today. Personally, I find the quites from both chairs repugnant to both freedom and reason.
Doreen
"It's dangerous to be right when your government is wrong"==Voltaire
News from the House Agriculture Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 5, 2009
Media Contact: Scott Kuschmider (Agriculture) (202) 225-1496
Dena Graziano (Homeland Security) (202) 226-2616
Joint Subcommittee Reviews National Animal Identification System
WASHINGTON- Today, two House Subcommittees held a joint public hearing to review the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
The Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, chaired by Representative David Scott of Georgia, and the Homeland
Security's Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, chaired by Representative Yvette Clarke of
New York, held a joint hearing to examine the identification system's role in protecting U.S. producers and consumers from the
effects of an animal disease outbreak.
"The National Animal Identification System is a producer's insurance against the potentially devastating economic impacts of a
widespread animal disease epidemic," said Chairman Scott. "A robust animal ID system with full traceability provides protection by
helping to preserve producer market access, because it will allow us to more quickly isolate problem animals and stop the spread of
illness. This in turn will allow us to demonstrate to other nations that the U.S. herd is safe and reopen those markets to U.S.
goods."
"I want to stress that our ability to effectively assess and respond to an animal disease outbreak remains limited until we have a
functioning animal ID system in place," said Chairwoman Clarke. "This issue requires our urgent attention."
"Today we heard from witnesses about the need for an effective animal identification system," said Agriculture Committee Chairman
Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota. "While such a system is not intended to prevent a disease outbreak, it is a vital tool that can
help trace, track, and quarantine infected animals in case such an outbreak occurs. Identifying the source of an outbreak and
mitigating its effects will save taxpayers in the long run and keep our export markets open."
"The emergence of new viruses further demonstrates our need to not only be prepared to react to disease outbreaks, but to also
undertake the necessary mitigation and research efforts that allow us to stay one step ahead," said Committee on Homeland Security
Chairman Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi. "Animal identification is the first step in being able to trace animals and respond to
animal health emergencies."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established NAIS in 2004 to enhance its existing animal health protection efforts by
offering national standards and expanding the level of participation beyond what had been required in existing disease programs.
The Joint Subcommittee heard testimony from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the overseer of NAIS, as well as the
Homeland Security Department's Office of Health Affairs, which works with federal agency and State, local, tribal and private sector
partners to assist in protecting the nation's critical infrastructure relating to food, agriculture, and veterinary resources.
State health, food safety and agriculture officials also testified about NAIS and State-administered animal identification efforts.
Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the House Agriculture Committee website at:
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html. A full transcript of the hearing will be posted online at a later date.
Witness List:
Panel I
Dr. John R. Clifford, Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Thomas McGinn, Chief Veterinarian, Office of Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
Panel II
Dr. David C. Smith, Assistant Director, Division of Animal Industry, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Albany,
New York
Dr. Jerry R. Gillespie, Former Director of Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, University of California, Davis, Hopland,
California
Mr. Kevin M. Kirk, Special Assistant to the Division Director, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Animal Industry Division,
Lansing, Michigan
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture web site http://agriculture.house.gov has additional information on this and other subjects.
"God put the firewood there, but every man must gather and light it himself".
Clayton Moore
Clayton Moore
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Jeepwidow - Posts: 289
- Joined: 27 Oct 2008 21:59
- Location: Missouri
Re: USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
by Groovy Mike on 08 Feb 2010 10:16
good news!
USDA drops NAIS plan to require every farm animal have a number
Posted by Jeff Fobes in Food
Word is spreading on Twitter and on small-farm listserves that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will drop its program to monitor the movement of all livestock, a plan that encountered widespread resistance from farmers, particularly those from small farms, who argued it would bankrupt them.
The New York Times wrote on Feb 5:
Faced with stiff resistance from ranchers and farmers, the Obama administration has decided to scrap a national program intended to help authorities quickly identify and track livestock in the event of an animal disease outbreak.
In abandoning the program, called the National Animal Identification System, officials said they would start over in trying to devise a livestock tracing program that could win widespread support from the industry.
The program had been pushed by large industrial farms. However the American Farm Bureau Federation is seeking to distance itself from the failed program. The Times reports: “It was just overwhelming in the country that people didn’t like it, and I think they took that feedback to heart,” said Mary Kay Thatcher, public policy director of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Here’s what Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at a press conference yesterday: “After concluding our listening tour on the National Animal Identification System in 15 cities across the country, receiving thousands of comments from the public and input from States, Tribal Nations, industry groups, and representatives for small and organic farmers, it is apparent that a new strategy for animal disease traceability is needed. I’ve decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard.” http://www.bovinevetonline.com/newsCN.a ... tid=983362
Xpress covered the plan when it was introduced in 2006:
The National Animal Identification System, conceived in the wake of the mad cow disease scare, envisions a central database that would enable public officials to trace any animal in the U.S. back to its farm of origin within 48 hours. This, it’s argued, would help keep sick animals out of the food system—or, in the case of a disease outbreak, get a quarantine in place.
The NAIS, a joint project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and individual states, is voluntary for now. A draft plan, released last April, lays out a tentative time line for phasing in the program. ... At present, however, the plan calls for requiring anyone who keeps livestock—from alpacas to cattle to the casual chicken—to register their farm or other property with a unique, seven-digit “premises ID” by 2008. And the following year, producers will have to go further, identifying any animals that might ever leave the property.
“I understand that you’ve got to have a license to have a gun,” said Sherry Williams, who raises nearly 50 dairy goats, including La Manchas, at her Listening Eagle Farm near Marion. “But now they’re telling me I have to have a license to farm? That’s exactly what this is.”
The Xpress article can be found at http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/0329farm.php/
USDA drops NAIS plan to require every farm animal have a number
Posted by Jeff Fobes in Food
Word is spreading on Twitter and on small-farm listserves that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will drop its program to monitor the movement of all livestock, a plan that encountered widespread resistance from farmers, particularly those from small farms, who argued it would bankrupt them.
The New York Times wrote on Feb 5:
Faced with stiff resistance from ranchers and farmers, the Obama administration has decided to scrap a national program intended to help authorities quickly identify and track livestock in the event of an animal disease outbreak.
In abandoning the program, called the National Animal Identification System, officials said they would start over in trying to devise a livestock tracing program that could win widespread support from the industry.
The program had been pushed by large industrial farms. However the American Farm Bureau Federation is seeking to distance itself from the failed program. The Times reports: “It was just overwhelming in the country that people didn’t like it, and I think they took that feedback to heart,” said Mary Kay Thatcher, public policy director of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Here’s what Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at a press conference yesterday: “After concluding our listening tour on the National Animal Identification System in 15 cities across the country, receiving thousands of comments from the public and input from States, Tribal Nations, industry groups, and representatives for small and organic farmers, it is apparent that a new strategy for animal disease traceability is needed. I’ve decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard.” http://www.bovinevetonline.com/newsCN.a ... tid=983362
Xpress covered the plan when it was introduced in 2006:
The National Animal Identification System, conceived in the wake of the mad cow disease scare, envisions a central database that would enable public officials to trace any animal in the U.S. back to its farm of origin within 48 hours. This, it’s argued, would help keep sick animals out of the food system—or, in the case of a disease outbreak, get a quarantine in place.
The NAIS, a joint project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and individual states, is voluntary for now. A draft plan, released last April, lays out a tentative time line for phasing in the program. ... At present, however, the plan calls for requiring anyone who keeps livestock—from alpacas to cattle to the casual chicken—to register their farm or other property with a unique, seven-digit “premises ID” by 2008. And the following year, producers will have to go further, identifying any animals that might ever leave the property.
“I understand that you’ve got to have a license to have a gun,” said Sherry Williams, who raises nearly 50 dairy goats, including La Manchas, at her Listening Eagle Farm near Marion. “But now they’re telling me I have to have a license to farm? That’s exactly what this is.”
The Xpress article can be found at http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/0329farm.php/
"Turn to me and be saved...for I am God and there is no other." Isaiah 45:22
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Groovy Mike - Posts: 1030
- Joined: 07 Jul 2008 12:01
Re: USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
by MosinNagant on 08 Feb 2010 11:00
Friday, February 5, 2010
Victory! The Farmers Have Spoken by William Kruidenier ,Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
"The New York Times is reporting this morning that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will announce today the scrapping of plans for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) program—a plan proposed under the Bush '43 administration to tag all livestock and track them in a database as a means of isolating infected animals in case of a disease outbreak. The program has met with significant resistance from livestock farmers. I reported in a previous post how Wendell Berry testified before a Congressional hearing that he would go to jail before allowing his animals to be tagged. The Department of Agriculture is going back to the drawing board to design a new, less intrusive plan.
The whole concept of NAIS was rife with problems: a huge expense for farmers, the commodification of livestock, and misplaced priorities. If USDA wants to do something about the spread of animal-based disease it ought to focus on preventing the occurrence of the disease before containing its spread. And most animal-based diseases arise because of commercial livestock practices: Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), the feeding of infected animal parts back to well animals, and the over-medication of commercial livestock making them resistant to new strains of disease. The best way to prevent disease in livestock is to pasture them and feed them on a wide variety of grasses and herbs, an environment naturally suited to suppressing the spread of disease.
Thankfully Secretary Vilsack listened to the voices of the people his policies would impact most—though eliminating NAIS does little to change the policies that allow for diseases to arise and flourish in the currently legal livestock factory-farms. "
Victory! The Farmers Have Spoken by William Kruidenier ,Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
"The New York Times is reporting this morning that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will announce today the scrapping of plans for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) program—a plan proposed under the Bush '43 administration to tag all livestock and track them in a database as a means of isolating infected animals in case of a disease outbreak. The program has met with significant resistance from livestock farmers. I reported in a previous post how Wendell Berry testified before a Congressional hearing that he would go to jail before allowing his animals to be tagged. The Department of Agriculture is going back to the drawing board to design a new, less intrusive plan.
The whole concept of NAIS was rife with problems: a huge expense for farmers, the commodification of livestock, and misplaced priorities. If USDA wants to do something about the spread of animal-based disease it ought to focus on preventing the occurrence of the disease before containing its spread. And most animal-based diseases arise because of commercial livestock practices: Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), the feeding of infected animal parts back to well animals, and the over-medication of commercial livestock making them resistant to new strains of disease. The best way to prevent disease in livestock is to pasture them and feed them on a wide variety of grasses and herbs, an environment naturally suited to suppressing the spread of disease.
Thankfully Secretary Vilsack listened to the voices of the people his policies would impact most—though eliminating NAIS does little to change the policies that allow for diseases to arise and flourish in the currently legal livestock factory-farms. "
Last edited by MosinNagant on 12 Feb 2010 12:33, edited 1 time in total.
- MosinNagant
Re: USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
by Joe on 09 Feb 2010 11:38
How does that jive with THIS?
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/ ... SECTION=US
USDA abandons stalled animal ID program
By SHANNON DININNY
Associated Press Writer
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it has abandoned a program that was intended to trace the movement of farm animals around the country but garnered little support from farmers.
Instead, the department announced plans for a new, more flexible program to be administered by states and tribes to strengthen disease prevention and response. The program will only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce and will encourage the use of low-cost technology.
The decision came after Agriculture Department officials heard widespread opposition to the national animal identification system at 15 meetings around the country last year.
"They finally came to their senses," said Mack Birkmaire, a cattleman in rural Joseph, Ore., laughing in a telephone interview.
Implemented in 2004, the voluntary program was intended to pinpoint an animal's location within 48 hours after a disease is discovered, to better prevent and respond to outbreaks.
Last year, just 36 percent of farmers and ranchers were participating.
Among the concerns: The cost is too high for small farmers; the regulations amount to bureaucratic suffocation; the program neither prevents nor controls disease; and what's in a farmer's pasture is nobody's business.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the federal government remains committed to working collaboratively with states, tribes and the industry to build the new program.
"I've decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard," Vilsack said in a statement.
Paperwork follows all of his cattle to sale, Birkmaire said, leaving no reason why the government can't find out in a very few hours what ranch the cattle came from in the event of an emergency.
"It sounds a little better, if the states are to have a bigger role," he said. "We still have to keep an eye on government, whether it's the states or the fed, but it sounds like a step in the right direction."
Dave Scott, president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said he was both surprised and pleased by the decision. The association has always backed a voluntary program, opposing a mandatory one because of the financial burden it places on ranchers, Scott said.
Texas is the nation's leading cattle-producing state.
Under the previous program, farmers were to have voluntarily registered their properties with their states by January 2008. Mandatory reporting of livestock movements was to begin one year later.
As of March 31, 2009, the USDA had obligated $119.4 million toward the program, which it said would help ensure the safety of the food supply, particularly for export markets that may refuse to accept U.S. beef, pork or poultry during a disease outbreak.
---
Associated Press writer Betsy Blaney contributed to this story from Lubbock, Texas.
© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Click here for copyright permissions!
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/ ... SECTION=US
USDA abandons stalled animal ID program
By SHANNON DININNY
Associated Press Writer
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it has abandoned a program that was intended to trace the movement of farm animals around the country but garnered little support from farmers.
Instead, the department announced plans for a new, more flexible program to be administered by states and tribes to strengthen disease prevention and response. The program will only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce and will encourage the use of low-cost technology.
The decision came after Agriculture Department officials heard widespread opposition to the national animal identification system at 15 meetings around the country last year.
"They finally came to their senses," said Mack Birkmaire, a cattleman in rural Joseph, Ore., laughing in a telephone interview.
Implemented in 2004, the voluntary program was intended to pinpoint an animal's location within 48 hours after a disease is discovered, to better prevent and respond to outbreaks.
Last year, just 36 percent of farmers and ranchers were participating.
Among the concerns: The cost is too high for small farmers; the regulations amount to bureaucratic suffocation; the program neither prevents nor controls disease; and what's in a farmer's pasture is nobody's business.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the federal government remains committed to working collaboratively with states, tribes and the industry to build the new program.
"I've decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard," Vilsack said in a statement.
Paperwork follows all of his cattle to sale, Birkmaire said, leaving no reason why the government can't find out in a very few hours what ranch the cattle came from in the event of an emergency.
"It sounds a little better, if the states are to have a bigger role," he said. "We still have to keep an eye on government, whether it's the states or the fed, but it sounds like a step in the right direction."
Dave Scott, president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said he was both surprised and pleased by the decision. The association has always backed a voluntary program, opposing a mandatory one because of the financial burden it places on ranchers, Scott said.
Texas is the nation's leading cattle-producing state.
Under the previous program, farmers were to have voluntarily registered their properties with their states by January 2008. Mandatory reporting of livestock movements was to begin one year later.
As of March 31, 2009, the USDA had obligated $119.4 million toward the program, which it said would help ensure the safety of the food supply, particularly for export markets that may refuse to accept U.S. beef, pork or poultry during a disease outbreak.
---
Associated Press writer Betsy Blaney contributed to this story from Lubbock, Texas.
© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Click here for copyright permissions!
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
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Joe - Viking Chieftain
- Posts: 3292
- Joined: 20 Mar 2008 08:34
- Location: CONUS - usually
Re: USDA Moves to Make NAIS MANDATORY
by MosinNagant on 10 Feb 2010 04:11
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it has abandoned a program that was intended to trace the movement of farm animals around the country but garnered little support from farmers.
Instead, the department announced plans for a new, more flexible program to be administered by states and tribes to strengthen disease prevention and response. The program will only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce and will encourage the use of low-cost technology.[/quote]
The following is a synopsis of the new "compromise" http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/
"The framework will provide the basic tenets of an improved animal disease traceability capability in the United States. USDA’s efforts will:
Only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce;
Be administered by the States and Tribal Nations to provide more flexibility;
Encourage the use of lower-cost technology; and
Be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the full rulemaking process. "
Secretary Vilsack's fuller quote :
“After concluding our listening tour on the National Animal Identification System in 15 cities across the country, receiving thousands of comments from the public and input from States, Tribal Nations, industry groups, and representatives for small and organic farmers, it is apparent that a new strategy for animal disease traceability is needed,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "I’ve decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard."
" Although USDA has a robust system in place to protect U.S. agriculture, with today’s announcement, the Department will also be taking additional actions to further strengthen protections against the entry and spread of disease. These steps will include actions to lessen the risk from disease introduction, initiating and updating analyses on how animal diseases travel into the country, improving response capabilities, and focusing on greater collaboration and analyses with States and industry on potential disease risk overall." http://www.krvn.com/news/agricultural/8 ... ee760fecad
Implemented in 2004, the voluntary program was intended to pinpoint an animal's location within 48 hours after a disease is discovered, to better prevent and respond to outbreaks.
Instead, the department announced plans for a new, more flexible program to be administered by states and tribes to strengthen disease prevention and response. The program will only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce and will encourage the use of low-cost technology.[/quote]
The following is a synopsis of the new "compromise" http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/
"The framework will provide the basic tenets of an improved animal disease traceability capability in the United States. USDA’s efforts will:
Only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce;
Be administered by the States and Tribal Nations to provide more flexibility;
Encourage the use of lower-cost technology; and
Be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the full rulemaking process. "
Secretary Vilsack's fuller quote :
“After concluding our listening tour on the National Animal Identification System in 15 cities across the country, receiving thousands of comments from the public and input from States, Tribal Nations, industry groups, and representatives for small and organic farmers, it is apparent that a new strategy for animal disease traceability is needed,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "I’ve decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard."
" Although USDA has a robust system in place to protect U.S. agriculture, with today’s announcement, the Department will also be taking additional actions to further strengthen protections against the entry and spread of disease. These steps will include actions to lessen the risk from disease introduction, initiating and updating analyses on how animal diseases travel into the country, improving response capabilities, and focusing on greater collaboration and analyses with States and industry on potential disease risk overall." http://www.krvn.com/news/agricultural/8 ... ee760fecad
Implemented in 2004, the voluntary program was intended to pinpoint an animal's location within 48 hours after a disease is discovered, to better prevent and respond to outbreaks.
- MosinNagant
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