I believe you have the cart before the horse here. Where did you read that USDA has "anointed" anyone, much less NCBA (as I believe you imply)?

Possibly, I mis-lead you a bit in stating "it is the gov't contracting out work". What I meant, since no contract has been awarded, is that, should this consortium carrying out NAIS requirements happen, it WOULD BE contracting, IN EFFECT, to do the work for the government. Nothing like that has happened as yet, and my mistake was in thinking everyone knew that.

My understanding, and I could be wrong, is that NCBA is working to present a model, or pilot project, WITH THEIR OWN MONEY. With the objective of demonstrating that it can be done. BTW, my understanding is that there are other organizations involved in that, not just NCBA.

The NCBA goal, I believe, is NOT for NCBA to run, manage, or operate the program, should the pilot project be successful, but that a NEW group comprised of REPRESENTATIVES from ALL species requiring identification under NAIS. That group and or government would determine who would pay and how. It would operate as a non-profit organization to keep costs as low as possible.

MRJ