|
The
following
appeared
on
the
chevontalk@yahoogroups.com
on
1/29/06:
Subject:
UPDATE
ON
NAIS
USDA
backs
off
on
centralized
database
and
mandatory
ID
Tam
Moore,
Capital
Press
Staff
Writer
DENVER
-
There
won’t
be
a
mandatory
U.S.
animal
identification
program
by
2009,
and
the
U.S.
Department
of
Agriculture
has
dropped
a
6-month-old
plan
for
contracting
with
a
privatized
central
database
to
launch
the
cattle
segment
of
ID.
That’s
the
message
Neil
Hammerschmidt,
the
USDA’s
National
Animal
Identification
System
coordinator,
brought
last
week
to
Ranchers-Cattlemen
Action
Legal
Fund
United
Stockgrowers
of
America.
“We
won
on
ID,”
R-CALF
President
Chuck
Kiker
said
after
listening
to
Hammerschmidt’s
presentation
Jan.
20.
R-CALF
and
other
ID
critics
questioned
the
USDA’s
intention
to
concentrate
the
data
with
a
system
the
rival
National
Cattlemen’s
Beef
Association
organized,
then
spun
off
as
a
free-standing
nonprofit
organization.
The
U.S.
Animal
Identification
Organization,
a
consortium
pushed
by
the
NCBA,
formed
Jan.
10.
Apparently,
it
won’t
handle
all
of
the
ID
action
that
promises
to
unfold
in
coming
years.
Instead
of
a
single
database,
Hammerschmidt
said,
USDA,
state
and
tribal
animal
health
agencies
will
use
multiple
databases,
relying
on
those
who
contract
with
the
USDA
to
furnish
livestock
tracking
information.
Agriculture
Secretary
Mike
Johanns
had
announced
the
single
privatized
concept
in
July
2005.
Hammerschmidt
said
it
wasn’t
just
protests
from
R-CALF
that
sank
it.
A
variety
of
state
animal
health
laws
make
it
certain
that
several
state
veterinarians
would
have
to
keep
databases
regardless
of
the
federal
policy.
“Our
preference
is
a
centralized
system.
It
is
probably
the
most
efficient,
probably
the
least
costly,”
Hammerschmidt
said.
“However,
it
has
been
made
clear
to
us
that
achieving
one
central
database
is
not
in
the
cards.
We
will
interface
with
multiple
databases,
both
in
the
private
sector
and
with
the
states.”
|
