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Animal health officials see voluntary NAIS as added protectionBy Kylene Orebaugh What purpose does a brand serve? What about an ear tag? Back in the day, brands served as a way for cattlemen to identify their cattle from their neighbors. The same goes with an eartag today, especially in areas where there is a high concentration of livestock such as a feedlot setting. In 2007, animal identification remains an important issue. The National Animal Identification System, according to www.usda.gov/nais, is a modern, streamlined information system that helps producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to disease outbreaks or animal health events in the United States. The NAIS program--a voluntary state, federal and industry partnership--is beneficial because it helps us protect U.S. livestock and poultry from disease spread, maintain consumer confidence in our food supply, and retain access to domestic and foreign markets. Identification aspects already in place Many states have brand laws and other identification practices in place that make tracking an animal disease outbreak a less daunting task. New Mexico State Veterinarian, Dave Fly, said with any disease, tracing all exposed animals to stop the spread of the disease can be difficult. "The source of all animals in is required to find the source of the disease (trace in)," Fly said. "This is impossible without Animal ID and documentation that has recorded movement." In New Mexico, animals imported into the state are required to have an entry permit, as well as be inspected by a livestock inspector to verify numbers, identification and source. Those animals leaving the state will also have to have an export inspection to verify: Identification, destination and ownership. "New Mexico has very strict brand laws that require that all livestock be identified with a brand. New Mexico has in-state livestock districts that require livestock be examined if they move from one district to another district," Fly said. "Therefore animals entering New Mexico are examined on arrival, movement around the state requires examination and export out of the state requires examination." Inspectors are also at import stations with Mexico, as well as at livestock events, fairs, shows and exhibitions. "Our brand system and movement control is our primary form of ID in the state of New Mexico," Fly said. "This is supplemented with other forms of individual I.D. such as registry tattoos, regulatory I.D. such as brucellosis and tuberculosis test ear tags." According to Fly, New Mexico inspectors use an automated computer system with a central database. "This is a State of New Mexico funded program with an initial expenditure of $800,000," Fly said. "While based on the brand system, all other forms of I.D. are compatible and can be entered into the system." New Mexico is working with the USDA field testing a new computerized information system. "Our producers traditionally recognize and support the concept of movement control, animal identification and the brand system. This system has functioned well for over 300 years in the state of New Mexico," Fly said. " The goal of New Mexico is to build on the existing system, incorporate where needed new technology and continue to maintain records that serve the needs of the State of New Mexico, other states and USDA." New Mexico's neighbor to the west, Arizona, is also working hard to protect their livestock. Jim Meggs is the project administrator for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and said currently Arizona is working to implement a few other things in addition to the brand laws. "We are one of the brand states. If it's within the state it's very good way of identifying animals," Meggs said. "I finished talking with the state veterinarian about changing our applications to reflect an Arizona brand number so we can use that as a cross-reference." Meggs reminds producers that NAIS is a voluntary program in Arizona, and across the country. "There was a bill passed that we can't make it mandatory here in the state," Meggs said. "But it's voluntary, just like it always has been." Arizona has also implemented recently finished pilot programs, simply because they worked so well. Currently, the Arizona Department of Agriculture is working with producers and getting their first round of RFID 982 ear tags. National groups take steps With any large undertaking, especially when it involved the policy making process, industry groups normally get involved. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Animal Identification Organization announced a partnership in middle July that would help register more than 100,000 new premises. As of late July, the were 408,527 premises registered with NAIS. "This agreement recognizes the relationship among USAIO partners in the livestock industry to build upon the growing support for the NAIS program," said Bruce Knight, undersecretary for USDA's marketing and regulatory programs in a recent press release. "NAIS provides a system that will shorten response times in the event of an animal disease outbreak, to further strengthen our reputation as the safest animal health system in the world." The USAIO is a nonprofit organization of livestock producer groups that works with the animal agriculture industry to provide leadership for the advancement of NAIS. Also in middle July, Kansas State University was selected to lead a benefit-cost analysis of the NAIS. The analysis will be conducted with the assistance of co-contributors Colorado State University and Michigan State University. Montana State University will provide a comprehensive assessment of the economic benefits and costs of NAIS, including its three components, premises registration, animal identification and animal tracing. According to a USDA press release dated July 16, several segments of the livestock industry will be a part of this analysis including small producers, commercial producers, marketing institutions, processing facilities and rendering operations. Kansas State and colleagues will study the benefits and costs of all components of NAIS across species. Also, the analysis will seek to determine the overall distribution of benefits and costs of NAIS among producers of various sized herds, marketing firms, processors, consumers and state and federal government agencies. In early August, the National Milk Producers Federation also announced a partnership with the USDA to help facilitate the registration of dairy farm, dairy calf and heifer grower premises as part of NAIS. "This agreement is another important step forward as we advance the National Animal Identification System," said Knight. "It builds on agreements previously announced with the National Pork Board, the National FFA Organization and the USAIO to promote animal health by providing producers with the information they need to take the important step of registering their premises and protecting their animals." Under the agreement, NMPF is spearheading a consortium of dairy cattle associations formed in 2005--IDairy. Since formed, more than 30,000 dairy producers have registered their premises under NAIS. However as many as 35,000 are yet to be registered. The group's goal is to have 100 percent of operations registered to help animal health officials quickly respond to health emergencies. And still, the leading beef organization, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association supports a voluntary and market driven program, Joe Schuele, director of trade media for NCBA said. "Our members feel also feel that livestock data is better held in private (rather than government) databases for the purposes of security and confidentiality," Schuele said. "While NCBA members see many potential benefits in the identification of individual livestock, they do not feel participation should be mandatory." Producers with questions or concerns about NAIS need to contact their state departments of agriculture or the USDA. For more information about NAIS visit www.usda.gov/nais. Kylene Orebaugh can be reached by phone at 620-227-1804 or by e-mail at kscott@hpj.com. Date: 8/9/07
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