Farm Bureau Says State Livestock
Industry Leader On Cattle Identification
MADISON-Wisconsin's livestock sector has been a leader in developing an animal identification model, through the formation of the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium, which may help the development of a national livestock tracking system.
"The Wisconsin Farm Bureau has taken this issue very seriously, establishing policy several years ago supporting a national animal identification system and working with the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium to create a model that provides for timely traceback," said Bill Bruins, president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau and a dairy producer from Waupun.
The Farm Bureau said Wisconsin's livestock industry already keeps records of animals, a starting point for an animal identification system. Dairy producers have premise identification through their milk sales licenses. Dairy, beef and pork producers have records of their animals to track sales, production and herd health. Livestock dealers have records of sales transactions of livestock.
"We have information already there that allows for traceback. A workable national system would establish a network of all this information and allow for faster traceback," said Bruins.
"It's false for politicians and others to make claims that a national identification system would have prevented the transmission of BSE in this one cow from Canada to Washington. A national identification system would be a system of quick traceback on animals from the marketplace to the farm to contain a disease that has been discovered," Bruins said.
The Farm Bureau said Europe had an animal identification system in place before discovering BSE and hoof and mouth disease. This identification system did not prevent the diseases from being transmitted, but did aid in containing the disease once they were discovered.
The Farm Bureau said producers have legitimate concerns that must be addressed in creating a comprehensive identification program such as liability, cost, and confidentiality of the data. The Farm Bureau said producers, the government and consumers must share the cost of implementing a national identification system.
The USDA announced it will aggressively work to accelerate the development of a national animal identification system. The U.S. Animal Identification Plan, which was formed in 2002, unveiled a draft of a national identification plan in October. The goal is to develop a standardized national identification system to assist in rapid animal trace back regarding an animal health emergency. Implementation will be in three phases: Phase I involves premises identification; Phase II involves individual identification; and Phase III involves creating a database. Comment in this plan is being accepted through January. 30. For more information: http://www.usaip.info/
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