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USDA Using RFID For Disease Outbreaks

Mike

Well-known member
USDA to fight tubercular cows with RFID
Wednesday, April 16 2008
The United States Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that it has begun providing tens of thousands of RFID ear tags for use in state bovine tuberculosis control programs. The tags are part of the 1.5 million RF animal identification tags the USDA has purchased to support various animal disease control programs, all part of its recently introduced “Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease Traceability.”

RFID tags have already been used in beef and dairy operations for management and marketing purposes for several years. Now, the National Animal Identification System aims to put the technology to use in fighting disease outbreaks. The ultimate goal is to be able to trace any disease outbreak to its source herd within 48 hours.

Since 2002, bovine TB detections in six states have required the destruction of more than 25,000 cattle. The USDA has tested over 787,000 animals in response to TB outbreaks since 2004.
 

Cinch

Well-known member
The best way to prevent TB is to stop it at the border. Almost every TB outbreak is traceable to Mexican cattle (exception--Michigan deer).
 

Silver

Well-known member
Cinch said:
The best way to prevent TB is to stop it at the border. Almost every TB outbreak is traceable to Mexican cattle (exception--Michigan deer).

Well I have a hard time believing that.

Up here I know elk and buffalo are known to carry TB, so I would assume (key word; assume) this would hold true most places, not just Mi. deer.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Attorneys to sue USDA, MDA over livestock-tracking plan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A lawyers' group has told the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Department of Agriculture it will sue to seek a halt to a new government program for electronically tracking American livestock and poultry.


The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund says it represents farmers and their consumers who follow the tenets of sustainable agriculture. The movement promotes the production of healthy and affordable food, the use of environmentally sound farming practices and the payment of fair living wages to food workers.

The Falls Church, Va.-based organization wrote Thursday that it wants an immediate suspension of the National Animal Identification System and a review to determine the need for it.

The USDA, which has been rolling out the program in different states since 2003, says it is intended to protect the health of livestock and poultry as well as the economic well-being of those industries. The attorneys' group maintains that the program does not have that effect, plus it creates other problems.

"While touted as a disease-control program, the NAIS will drive many small farmers out of business and burden every person who owns even one horse, chicken, cow, goat, sheep, pig, llama, alpaca or other livestock animal with expensive and intrusive government regulations," Taaron Meikle, the group's president, said in a written statement.

There are also constitutional issues at stake, he said. Requiring electronic identification tags to be attached to animals or electronic chips to be injected into their skin violates the religious beliefs of some farmers, such as the Amish.

States also could be required to stop and inspect vehicles carrying livestock without warrants or probable cause, Meikle said.

State compliance in the program is voluntary and the USDA says it has no plans to make participation in any part of the program mandatory. States may choose to keep farmer participation voluntary or not.

In March 2007, Michigan became the first state to make parts of the program mandatory, in an effort to battle bovine tuberculosis. Farmers in the state must attach radio frequency identification ear tags on all cattle and dairy cows.

State Agriculture Department spokeswoman Jennifer Holton said the identification system conforms with the state's Animal Industry Act.

"MDA stands behind Michigan's cattle ID system," she said.

Holton also confirmed that the agency received the notice-of-intent-to-sue letter. State agriculture officials will review it with their legal team, she said.

USDA spokeswoman Joelle Schelhaus said while she had not seen the letter, the department does not comment on pending lawsuits anyway.
 
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