It’s not just about cows!
Most everyone thinks that the National Animal Identification System is about tracking the movement of cows, for ensuring the safety of our food chain. It’s not!
Oh, if you call your local extension office, or the USDA, they will tell you that’s what it’s for, but if you read the actual document the USDA has drafted, NAIS will include alpacas and llamas, bison, cattle (beef and dairy), deer and elk, horses, goats,
poultry, sheep, and swine. New York State is even including dogs and cats! USDA will also tell you that this program is voluntary. It is not!! Their draft document states that by January 2009 the program will be mandatory. You will have to register your animals, you will have to report any movement of that animal, even if you go on a trail ride! Forget horse shows and 4H.
Do you think all of this is going to be free? Think again. The USDA has stated that the cost will be shared between industry and producers. That means you! You have a horse, or a goat, you don’t sell anything but you are the producer, you will pay for registering your premises, you will pay for registering your animals, and you will pay each time you move that animal or each time someone with an animal visits your home.
Have I mentioned the reports? Every time an animal enters or leaves your premises, you will be required to report the activity. Doesn’t sound too bad. Now, Mom and Dad and the three kids go on a trail ride. That’s five horses and a total of 10 events to be reported. If that doesn’t scare you, how about if you have a small herd of cows, say about 100. Every year you sell 100 calves (100 reports). Sometime after the spring calves are born and before you sell them a storm knocks down a fence and your 100 cows with their calves mosey on over to the neighbors. That’s 400 events to report… 200 going out and 200 coming back in. I don’t even like to think about what someone with a small flock of free roaming chickens will do.
If you’ve not read the USDA Draft Stragic Plan, you should at the very least skim through it to get familiar with what the government has planned for you. The USDA has slipped this plan in the back door without any legislation, so don’t be surprised if you’ve not heard of it before. You’ve heard of it now and its time ‘we the people’ stood up and were counted before it’s too late.
There is a hearing on House Bill 3297 to stop National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in Tennessee at 9 am on April 4th, 2006 in Room 29 of the Legislative Plaza. A list of TN legislators, and their email addresses can be found here.
