Liberty Belle
Well-known member
The Source for Livestock News in the Alleys
April 21, 2009, high noon
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Livestock Auction Markets have grave concern over the talk of "mandatory" NAIS that rumbled out of the nations capitol last week. Market operators are skeptical that the current National Animal Identification System plan will maintain the "speed of commerce" in livestock marketing – an absolute necessity in maintaining a viable marketing system that serves tens of thousands of producers every day. Because of those and other concerns, the policy of the Livestock Marketing Association is that NAIS should remain voluntary.
Nancy Robinson, the LMA's President for Government and Industry Affairs testified, "speed of commerce" means processing and marketing cattle on sale day within just a few hours, minimizing weight shrinkage, protecting the safety and welfare of market employees and the livestock they handle, and moving animals on to their next destination "with a minimum of delay."
That was part of the message brought by Nancy Robinson to an April 15 discussion on the future of NAIS. The discussion was called by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and held at USDA. Those invited included "a selected spectrum of views" on NAIS, with a heavy slanted testimony toward USDA funded and animal health providers.
A mandated ID program will likely require many markets to establish tagging services for their consignors who are unable to tag their animals on farm. That will lead to many other concerns for the markets, including added costs to the market, extra labor, worker safety, liability, and animal welfare.
In the industry thousands of cattle are sold in a single day. Most arrive the morning of the auction. Paper tags are glued to critter's backs at the speed they unload from a semi. These numbers are cataloged by auction personnel and easily visible by buyers from a normal distance. This system has historically worked well, and economical. No cattle are lost, or else the management would be responsible.
The impossibility of a mandatory NAIS would require several more hours for tagging and computer recording. Instead of livestock arriving the morning of the sale and leaving the same day it would require consignments arrive a day early. This would create an increase yardage and handling fee. Each time a pound is lost by stressing it reduces the health and value. Pounds and minutes are dollars.
The current system works well millions of times a year. It has been fine tuned by cattle handling professionals for centuries. The current system doesn't require trained computer technology, or electronic reading scanners. If there is an electrical failure the entire system, as currently used, can continue on schedule.
Market consignment fees include commission, brand inspection, health, and yardage. Currently these sale fees are $11 to $19 per animal. With a mandatory NAIS it is projected to go to $26 to $41. Not only would NAIS mandatory force markets to expand corrals to board cattle an extra day, purchase thousands of dollars in computer equipment, but also totally change the skill level of auction staff. If a computer error is made during the process, a hefty fine is proposed by NAIS planners.
LMA Information Director, John McBride says, "What it is going to do is make our people the policemen for NAIS, and of course they don't want to be that."
"So we don't end up with a system people resist, people resent and that people figure out ways to get around it," Sec. Vilsack told reporters, this is his goal. Vilsack acknowledged there are very passionate feelings concerning NAIS and he would like to sit down and discuss ways a mandatory program could be acceptable.
Most livestock and marketing organizations are being politically polite toward the Secretary—-but, unfortunately for NAIS—what they won't stand for at all is the one part—-MANDATORY!
http://brianallmerradionetwork.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/04-21-09-the-barns-listener-page-us-livestock-marketing-management/
April 21, 2009, high noon
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Livestock Auction Markets have grave concern over the talk of "mandatory" NAIS that rumbled out of the nations capitol last week. Market operators are skeptical that the current National Animal Identification System plan will maintain the "speed of commerce" in livestock marketing – an absolute necessity in maintaining a viable marketing system that serves tens of thousands of producers every day. Because of those and other concerns, the policy of the Livestock Marketing Association is that NAIS should remain voluntary.
Nancy Robinson, the LMA's President for Government and Industry Affairs testified, "speed of commerce" means processing and marketing cattle on sale day within just a few hours, minimizing weight shrinkage, protecting the safety and welfare of market employees and the livestock they handle, and moving animals on to their next destination "with a minimum of delay."
That was part of the message brought by Nancy Robinson to an April 15 discussion on the future of NAIS. The discussion was called by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and held at USDA. Those invited included "a selected spectrum of views" on NAIS, with a heavy slanted testimony toward USDA funded and animal health providers.
A mandated ID program will likely require many markets to establish tagging services for their consignors who are unable to tag their animals on farm. That will lead to many other concerns for the markets, including added costs to the market, extra labor, worker safety, liability, and animal welfare.
In the industry thousands of cattle are sold in a single day. Most arrive the morning of the auction. Paper tags are glued to critter's backs at the speed they unload from a semi. These numbers are cataloged by auction personnel and easily visible by buyers from a normal distance. This system has historically worked well, and economical. No cattle are lost, or else the management would be responsible.
The impossibility of a mandatory NAIS would require several more hours for tagging and computer recording. Instead of livestock arriving the morning of the sale and leaving the same day it would require consignments arrive a day early. This would create an increase yardage and handling fee. Each time a pound is lost by stressing it reduces the health and value. Pounds and minutes are dollars.
The current system works well millions of times a year. It has been fine tuned by cattle handling professionals for centuries. The current system doesn't require trained computer technology, or electronic reading scanners. If there is an electrical failure the entire system, as currently used, can continue on schedule.
Market consignment fees include commission, brand inspection, health, and yardage. Currently these sale fees are $11 to $19 per animal. With a mandatory NAIS it is projected to go to $26 to $41. Not only would NAIS mandatory force markets to expand corrals to board cattle an extra day, purchase thousands of dollars in computer equipment, but also totally change the skill level of auction staff. If a computer error is made during the process, a hefty fine is proposed by NAIS planners.
LMA Information Director, John McBride says, "What it is going to do is make our people the policemen for NAIS, and of course they don't want to be that."
"So we don't end up with a system people resist, people resent and that people figure out ways to get around it," Sec. Vilsack told reporters, this is his goal. Vilsack acknowledged there are very passionate feelings concerning NAIS and he would like to sit down and discuss ways a mandatory program could be acceptable.
Most livestock and marketing organizations are being politically polite toward the Secretary—-but, unfortunately for NAIS—what they won't stand for at all is the one part—-MANDATORY!
http://brianallmerradionetwork.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/04-21-09-the-barns-listener-page-us-livestock-marketing-management/
