USDA backs-off premises registration requirement
Monday, December 29, 2008, 5:32 PM
by Bob Meyer
R-CALF USA says the USDA has withdrawn a directive requiring premise registration for producers engaged in interstate commerce and who participate in any one of the dozen or more federally regulated disease programs. R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says, "It's an acknowledgement by USDA that they do not have the authority to implement mandatory animal ID as they attempted to do in their September memo." That September memo, "Memorandum 575.19 mandated premises registration under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) for producers engaged in interstate commerce and who participate in any one of the dozen or more federally regulated disease programs." R-CALF sent a formal letter to USDA demanding a retraction of the memo on the grounds the national animal ID program is supposed to be voluntary. USDA retracted the directive on December 22nd.
There are states which have mandatory premises registration, Bullard says this does not affect them, "This deals specifically with the federal government's authority," whereas state laws will have to be challenged on a state level. Bullard says there are a number of challenges to state laws either filed or in the works and R-CALF has submitted affidavits in support of some of those producers.
Related Links:
A copy of the USDA memo
R-CALF USDA website
Monday, December 29, 2008, 5:32 PM
by Bob Meyer
R-CALF USA says the USDA has withdrawn a directive requiring premise registration for producers engaged in interstate commerce and who participate in any one of the dozen or more federally regulated disease programs. R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says, "It's an acknowledgement by USDA that they do not have the authority to implement mandatory animal ID as they attempted to do in their September memo." That September memo, "Memorandum 575.19 mandated premises registration under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) for producers engaged in interstate commerce and who participate in any one of the dozen or more federally regulated disease programs." R-CALF sent a formal letter to USDA demanding a retraction of the memo on the grounds the national animal ID program is supposed to be voluntary. USDA retracted the directive on December 22nd.
There are states which have mandatory premises registration, Bullard says this does not affect them, "This deals specifically with the federal government's authority," whereas state laws will have to be challenged on a state level. Bullard says there are a number of challenges to state laws either filed or in the works and R-CALF has submitted affidavits in support of some of those producers.
Related Links:
A copy of the USDA memo
R-CALF USDA website
