Meat + Poultry - October 2009 - 46

NATIONAL ANIMAL I.D.

Gary Voogt, president of NCBA,
who owns and runs a farm with 100
registered Angus cows in Marne, Mich.,
operates under a state-mandated animal
ID program - and likes it.

National Animal Identification System to help state and federal animalhealth officials respond rapidly and
effectively to animal-health emergencies, such as foreign animal disease outbreaks or emerging domestic diseases. Animal health is a very
strong reason to use it. We also support the use of animal identification
systems to improve genetics and as a
marketing tool. While we recognize
the need for continuing refi nements
of the program, NCBA policy supports the adoption of NAIS as the
national animal identification program," she says.
Dr. Parker says NCBA has encouraged its members to participate
in animal ID programs. Many members already participate
voluntarily in animal
identification programs
as one of many tools to
improve their herds,
monitor disease and better market their cattle.
"However, our members continue to have
Parker
concerns with NAIS,
which is why NCBA policy supports
a voluntary, rather than a mandatory
system," she says. "Confidentiality is
a major concern of our private producers because information about
our producers would be lodged in
a USDA-maintained database. The

federal government does not have
a strong track record of preventing
the leak of private information. If
you look at other countries having
animal ID for cattle, they all have
private-sector programs, not government programs. They all phased
in their systems, between and within species. If there are already good
private-sector programs here, why
a public mandated program?" She

There is a transponder on one side of
the tag, and with an electronic reader, it
makes the operation simple.

also has concerns about mandatory
animal ID slowing down the speed
of commerce, including working,
processing and marketing of cattle.
She says costs to producers, especially small producers, would be sizable. And she does not think animal
ID should be used as a food-safety
tool, with federal and state food-safety
inspection programs already in place.

46 * Meat&Poultry * October 2009 * www.MeatPoultry.com

Ironically, Gary Voogt, president
of NCBA, who owns and runs a farm
with 100 registered Angus cows in
Marne, Mich., not far from Grand
Rapids, operates under a state-mandated animal ID program - and likes
it. He explains the Michigan program
was put in place by the state because
of Bovine Tuberculosis. "It's hard to
track cattle without a uniform system," he explains.
Even before the state-mandated requirement went into effect, the Midwest cattle producer had been using
the animal ID program on a voluntary
basis, "and it caused me no problems.
We got into it at weaning time, and put
the tags on when the calves got vaccinated," he says. In addition to Bovine
TB, a deer in the state came down with
Chronic Wasting Disease. "It was a
fluke, but with this system, they traced
all the pen mates in 20 minutes."
Voogt believes the program is valuable because it helps protect livestock
in case of an animal disease outbreak.
It is done just like an ear tag, and
costs him $2.35 a piece. There is also
a transponder on one side of the tag,
and with an electronic reader, it makes
the operation simple. "It's like how a
barcode works in a supermarket," he
says. He notes while it is easy for him
to implement with a small herd, many
big producers are using NAIS voluntarily. Part of the reason are export requirements levied by Japan and South
Korea, who want to know the age and
source of cattle. "That gives producers who use the system an edge," Voogt
believes. Increasing the age of cattle Japan will accept from a maximum of 20
months to 30 months would increase
the export value of American cattle by
$1 billion, he notes.
The system has also helped producers who ship their cattle across
state lines, which is important in the
purebred business. Packers, he notes,
are used to dealing with it, collecting

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