Future of Animal ID System Unclear [edited]

August 19, 2009 — 

Facing resistance from food animal owners and pressure from Congress, federal agriculture officials are reconsidering how the national animal disease tracing system is structured.

Officials with the Department of Agriculture said they heard substantial support for animal disease traceability during a series of public meetings but many animal owners indicated concerns. Cost, privacy, bureaucracy, liability in the event of a disease outbreak, and the religious implications of such animal identification are behind ongoing opposition to the department's National Animal Identification System.

The USDA has not gotten enough food animal producers to participate in the NAIS to achieve the desired animal tracing ability, and members of Congress have expressed frustration over funding the program.

Neil Hammerschmidt, program coordinator for the NAIS, told JAVMA that individuals who were concerned about the government program were most highly represented at the 15 meetings of USDA officials and stakeholders held between April 15 and June 30.

"We certainly heard the ongoing negative concerns or concerns about NAIS putting the small producer out of business-concerns about premises registration causing one to give up the rights to their property," Hammerschmidt said. "And so, a lot of the concerns that were expressed were certainly concerns that had been presented prior to these meetings, but it certainly was a good process in letting individuals air their concerns maybe more publicly and clearly."

About 525,000 premises were registered with the NAIS by July 5, according to the USDA. They account for about 36.5 percent of the estimated 1.44 million premises in the United States.

Hammerschmidt could not say whether the NAIS would take a different direction, but disease traceability remains a priority for the USDA. Meeting attendees indicated they support other existing surveillance and identification programs, so Hammerschmidt thinks traceability could be presented differently but still provide unique animal identification to a source location.

[Editor's note: Swine producers have been supportive of a mandatory animal identification system. Currently, over 85% of the estimated swine production premises have registered as part of the NAIS through their state. An effective animal identification system is crucial to an efficient, rapid response to an animal disease outbreak. AASV has been conducting an educational outreach effort targeting our member veterinarians to encourage them to register their clinic premises and to work with their clients to get their premises registered as well. AASV's outreach is also meant to educate veterinarians about their role in the NAIS as promoters and participants.]

Source:
JAVMA News September 1, 2009
as reported by USAHA News Alert on August 19, 2009