USDA unveils new business plan for national animal ID
Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 3:52 PM
by Peter Shinn and Bob Meyer
USDA unveiled a new vision for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) Wednesday. The plan focuses on the identification issues confronting each species and identifies seven key strategies to move the NAIS forward. Those strategies center on the need to improve data compatibility, technology, cooperation with livestock and breed associations and with state governments as well.
According to the new business plan, the U.S. commercial poultry industry already essentially has the ability to trace individual birds back to their original premises within 48 hours. But the plan said the beef cattle industry has the farthest to go in achieving the goal of 48 hour trace back, largely due to its diverse segments and lack of vertical integration.
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight told Brownfield premises registration remains the key to making the NAIS viable. He urged beef producers to "take the emotion out" of their decision to register their premises. And Knight pointed out there are compelling reasons for cattle producers to register their premises.
"If they want to see the importance of animal ID, look at how this summer, with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom, how quickly that was able to be contained and how few animals died," Knight emphasized. "And, but for the grace of God, we could go there as well."
While the business plan stresses the importance of livestock traceability, nowhere in the document is it suggested that the NAIS should be or ever will become a mandatory program. And Knight says it doesn't need to.
"It is a voluntary program," Knight reiterated. "We think the merits of animal ID are such that folks will participate as a voluntary program."
One directly affected by animal disease issues in the United Kingdom is Rob Wills, Executive Manager of the British Livestock Genetics Consortium, Ltd. He told Brownfield the only way animal identification helped successfully control this past summer's FMD outbreak is that the UK program is mandatory.
"Without a national mandatory ID system, we could be dead and buried," Wills said bluntly. And he cautioned that if FMD or a similarly contagious disease were to strike in the U.S., the absence of a system to speed traceability could make eradication a difficult, costly and lengthy affair with larger ramifications.
"Then you really, seriously are in a nightmare scenario and your exports will be banned," Wills warned. "And if you don't watch out, they'll be banned forever."
Fear of losing export markets is one reason National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Jill Appell told Brownfield her group continues to support a mandatory national animal ID system. She also noted the U.S. pork industry had a positive and successful experience with the mandatory pseudorabies eradication program. For those reasons, Appell said pork producers may be more comfortable than cattle producers with a mandatory approach to animal ID.
"The pseudorabies program was not only mandatory, it worked," noted Appell. "And so we probably don't have the same kind of reluctance as some other species may have to having a mandatory program."
But how can the hesitancy of beef producers to register their premises be overcome? According to Knight, USDA, state veterinarians and cattle and breed associations must all play an important role. But Knight suggested the most effective advocates for the NAIS may be other cattlemen.
"What we're seeing already in some of the partnerships we've done with the industries, where the industry leadership is saying, 'Guys, this is the right thing to do,' we're seeing a great deal of acceptance of animal ID and high levels of participation," Knight said.
The new NAIS business plan sets the bar differently for different species. For example, the plan calls for 100% of commercial poultry houses to be registered by March 2008. The plan expects 100% of swine premises to be registered by March of 2009. But the plan's objective for cattle is more modest, with a goal of just 70% of U.S. cattle on registered premises by December of 2009.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 3:52 PM
by Peter Shinn and Bob Meyer
USDA unveiled a new vision for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) Wednesday. The plan focuses on the identification issues confronting each species and identifies seven key strategies to move the NAIS forward. Those strategies center on the need to improve data compatibility, technology, cooperation with livestock and breed associations and with state governments as well.
According to the new business plan, the U.S. commercial poultry industry already essentially has the ability to trace individual birds back to their original premises within 48 hours. But the plan said the beef cattle industry has the farthest to go in achieving the goal of 48 hour trace back, largely due to its diverse segments and lack of vertical integration.
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight told Brownfield premises registration remains the key to making the NAIS viable. He urged beef producers to "take the emotion out" of their decision to register their premises. And Knight pointed out there are compelling reasons for cattle producers to register their premises.
"If they want to see the importance of animal ID, look at how this summer, with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom, how quickly that was able to be contained and how few animals died," Knight emphasized. "And, but for the grace of God, we could go there as well."
While the business plan stresses the importance of livestock traceability, nowhere in the document is it suggested that the NAIS should be or ever will become a mandatory program. And Knight says it doesn't need to.
"It is a voluntary program," Knight reiterated. "We think the merits of animal ID are such that folks will participate as a voluntary program."
One directly affected by animal disease issues in the United Kingdom is Rob Wills, Executive Manager of the British Livestock Genetics Consortium, Ltd. He told Brownfield the only way animal identification helped successfully control this past summer's FMD outbreak is that the UK program is mandatory.
"Without a national mandatory ID system, we could be dead and buried," Wills said bluntly. And he cautioned that if FMD or a similarly contagious disease were to strike in the U.S., the absence of a system to speed traceability could make eradication a difficult, costly and lengthy affair with larger ramifications.
"Then you really, seriously are in a nightmare scenario and your exports will be banned," Wills warned. "And if you don't watch out, they'll be banned forever."
Fear of losing export markets is one reason National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Jill Appell told Brownfield her group continues to support a mandatory national animal ID system. She also noted the U.S. pork industry had a positive and successful experience with the mandatory pseudorabies eradication program. For those reasons, Appell said pork producers may be more comfortable than cattle producers with a mandatory approach to animal ID.
"The pseudorabies program was not only mandatory, it worked," noted Appell. "And so we probably don't have the same kind of reluctance as some other species may have to having a mandatory program."
But how can the hesitancy of beef producers to register their premises be overcome? According to Knight, USDA, state veterinarians and cattle and breed associations must all play an important role. But Knight suggested the most effective advocates for the NAIS may be other cattlemen.
"What we're seeing already in some of the partnerships we've done with the industries, where the industry leadership is saying, 'Guys, this is the right thing to do,' we're seeing a great deal of acceptance of animal ID and high levels of participation," Knight said.
The new NAIS business plan sets the bar differently for different species. For example, the plan calls for 100% of commercial poultry houses to be registered by March 2008. The plan expects 100% of swine premises to be registered by March of 2009. But the plan's objective for cattle is more modest, with a goal of just 70% of U.S. cattle on registered premises by December of 2009.
