|
Locate in 48 animal ID program introduced at OCA conventBy Doug Rich The annual Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association (OCA) convention began with a press conference to announce the Locate in 48 animal identification program. Terry Peach, Secretary and Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry introduced the program which is designed to encourage the state's livestock owners and others to participate in a statewide premises registration program. "We believe that this information will help educate and encourage Oklahoma producers to register their livestock premises and preserve the future of farming and ranching for generations to come," Peach said. Peach was joined on the stage by members of the Advisory Board that helped formulate the Locate in 48 program for Oklahoma. The members of this board represent every commodity and livestock organization in the state. Through the program livestock owners are asked to voluntarily register their premises. A premises is defined as any location where animals are managed or held. Dr. Becky Brewer, state veterinarian, said about 11 percent of the 80,000 premises in the state were currently registered. The goal of this new program is to have 50 percent of the premises in the state registered within a year and 90 to 100 percent registered within two years. Dr. Brewer said many producers have not registered because they are concerned about liability issues. "Nobody is liable for disease," Dr. Brewer said. "This is not about making somebody responsible, it is about eradication, restoration and continuity of business. It is about trust, transparency, and traceability." Many livestock owners have not registered because they do not understand the program. Dr. Brewer said there are some national groups who are anti-animal identification and these groups are well funded. "There are some people that always want to think the worst no matter what," Dr. Brewer said. The Locate in 48 program is funded by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) but it is planned and administered by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. "This puts it in Oklahoma language," Dr. Brewer said. "We are not Virginia, Maine, California, or Montana. We are Oklahoma. This is about us." The goal of the animal identification program is to isolate and eradicate a disease outbreak as quickly as possible. "If we can find the source in 48 hours we can save the livestock industry," Scott Dewald, OCA Executive Vice President, said. This program is completely voluntary, there is no cost to the producer, and the information is secure. The directory will be maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and accessed only in the event of an animal disease outbreak or animal health emergency. Additional security is provided by Oklahoma law, Title 2, Section 4 to 20. Individuals can register by mail, by Fax, or by phone at 405-522-6138. More information is available online at OK.LocateIn48.com. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 8/6/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
| |||||||||||||||||||||
