(Billings, Mont.) – Please attribute the following statement to R-CALF USA Region V Director Chuck Kiker, of Beaumont, Texas:
"R-CALF USA was extremely disappointed on Tuesday to learn Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided that a single, privately held animal-tracking repository will track and maintain animal-movement data for the agency's National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
"USDA is headed down the wrong course in a matter that is vitally important not only to the U.S. cattle industry, but also one that is truly a legitimate health issue with significant implications for the general public.
"It concerns us greatly that USDA would entrust such a sensitive responsibility to private organizations that may have political motivation and aspirations, and the desire to profit or otherwise benefit from access to proprietary producer/production information. This arrangement could lead to potential abuses and intentional misuse of information that could damage individual producers and potentially harm the markets. If USDA insists upon a mandatory animal identification program, it should be as far removed from the political process and from the profit-generation process as possible.
"This kind of responsibility should fall to animal health officials in the USDA, state animal health authorities, and tribal governments who are already charged with maintaining both the health and welfare of livestock and the American people. Tribal and state animal health authorities have a long history of providing exceptional animal disease control for our industry. USDA's action demonstrates a lack of confidence for these animal health officials. Only these publicly accountable officials should have access to this information for controlling a disease outbreak.
"Today's announcement leaves many unanswered questions, like what costs producers will be expected to shoulder, and what benefits can be expected to producers who incur that cost.
"R-CALF is looking forward to USDA's cost-benefit analysis before implementation gets underway.
"Additionally, because protecting U.S. livestock from disease outbreaks is a national security issue, and because only official governmental departments can be held accountable to the public to properly administer such a program, it then becomes obviously appropriate that the animal identification program and its objectives remain in the public domain and be funded with public monies.
"R-CALF is committed to encouraging USDA to do the right thing for the U.S. cattle industry and shift this critical task back to the agency's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which has previously held the position that such data repositories would best be managed internally."
"R-CALF USA was extremely disappointed on Tuesday to learn Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has decided that a single, privately held animal-tracking repository will track and maintain animal-movement data for the agency's National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
"USDA is headed down the wrong course in a matter that is vitally important not only to the U.S. cattle industry, but also one that is truly a legitimate health issue with significant implications for the general public.
"It concerns us greatly that USDA would entrust such a sensitive responsibility to private organizations that may have political motivation and aspirations, and the desire to profit or otherwise benefit from access to proprietary producer/production information. This arrangement could lead to potential abuses and intentional misuse of information that could damage individual producers and potentially harm the markets. If USDA insists upon a mandatory animal identification program, it should be as far removed from the political process and from the profit-generation process as possible.
"This kind of responsibility should fall to animal health officials in the USDA, state animal health authorities, and tribal governments who are already charged with maintaining both the health and welfare of livestock and the American people. Tribal and state animal health authorities have a long history of providing exceptional animal disease control for our industry. USDA's action demonstrates a lack of confidence for these animal health officials. Only these publicly accountable officials should have access to this information for controlling a disease outbreak.
"Today's announcement leaves many unanswered questions, like what costs producers will be expected to shoulder, and what benefits can be expected to producers who incur that cost.
"R-CALF is looking forward to USDA's cost-benefit analysis before implementation gets underway.
"Additionally, because protecting U.S. livestock from disease outbreaks is a national security issue, and because only official governmental departments can be held accountable to the public to properly administer such a program, it then becomes obviously appropriate that the animal identification program and its objectives remain in the public domain and be funded with public monies.
"R-CALF is committed to encouraging USDA to do the right thing for the U.S. cattle industry and shift this critical task back to the agency's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which has previously held the position that such data repositories would best be managed internally."
