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Locate in 48By Holly Martin If your neighbor a mile away bought a load of calves, you wouldn't take much notice. You might see that the pasture had been stocked as you drive past to check the windmill in your own pasture. But what if that load of calves had been exposed to tuberculosis in their previous location? What if those calves started exhibiting signs of that disease? Would you notice? Probably not. What is your protection in that situation? There's not much you can do . . . except hope to get the earliest possible notification to protect your own herd. That notification can be expedited by simply registering your premise with your state as a part of the National Animal Identification System. The system has been in place for a few years, but there is a renewed push for producers to take the first step in protecting their own herd. In Kansas, the "Locate in 48" promotion was recently launched to help educate producers about premise registration and the identification program. The goal of NAIS is to be able trace back an animal's whereabouts within 48 hours of a problem. Recently, a disease was identified in one state and it took 120 days to be fully traced. In today's modern world, that is simply unacceptable. Understandably, some producers have been reluctant to participate in a new government program. They are confused about the changes they would need to make on their farm. The premise registration is the simple first step. All the form requires is a producer to register his name, address, type of operation and the species type. All information is confidential and can only be accessed by federal and state health officials. Other agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service or Environmental Protection Agency will not have access to the data. Registering your premises is voluntary, but it is the right move to protect your livelihood, because "Disease doesn't discriminate," says Bryan Rickard, NAIS program manager in Kansas. Kansas officials called the NAIS program "bringing animal identification into the 21st century." That's a good way to look at it. You would not manage your livestock without the newest animal health treatments and vaccinations. Your trace back system shouldn't be an antique either. If nothing else, look at a recent case of TB in a dairy in California. Quarantined herds cost producers as much as $70,000 per month in lost revenue. Can you afford that? Had there been a faster trace back, the exposure from cattle movement could have been reduced. Go to www.usda.gov/nais to find the link to register your premise today. You never know when an animal disease could cost you your entire herd. Give officials the best possible chance of notifying you as soon as possible and minimizing your risk. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806 or e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. 5/26/08 Date: 5/21/08
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