Big Stakeholders Say No NAIS

NoNAIS.org ^ | 2006-06-02 | Walter Jeffries

[pubwvj]

The USDA and state Ag Dept. officials like to claim that the big producers are united behind the USDA's proposed draft of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This is not true. The reality is more and more of the big producers, breed organizations and other large stakeholders are resisting NAIS.

The “Livestock Marketing Association, along with other industry groups, is letting Congress know there is a lot of dissatisfaction with this program, and there are many questions about it that need answering before we can move forward." - Robinson of the LMA

"Regarding animal identification, members approved by a vote of 3,628-183 the following resolution: "R-CALF USA opposes a federally mandated national animal identification program. R-CALF USA opposes a totally privatized, centralized database and/or a federally centralized database. R-CALF USA supports a voluntary animal-health trace-back system that ensures the protection of individual data, and a system that is compatible with the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). R-CALF USA shall continue to work with the federal government, state governments and Tribal governments, as well as the industry, to determine the feasibility, functionality, and benefit to the U.S. cattle industry of an animal-health trace-back system that incorporates existing systems, such as brand programs and the Intertribal Cattle Connect program, and vests the responsibilities and authority under the auspices of state animal health officials and Tribal governments." -R-CALF

"Policies, procedures, and regulations that inappropriately or unnecessarily discourage farmers and ranchers from considering or continuing to steward rare and threatened breeds could lead to the extinction or functional loss of the genetic resource these animals represent. Such a loss would diminish our country’s genetic legacy, significantly reduce the capacity of present and future animal breeders to respond to new challenges and opportunities, and potentially compromise our nation’s food security.

ALBC stands ready to have dialogue with those charged in the development of NAIS to ensure this precious and vulnerable livestock and poultry legacy can be secured. Specific points of concern include: the potential unfair economic and administrative burden NAIS may impose on breeders and small farmer while providing little benefit, while the NAIS trace back system does have merit, clearly the enhanced export markets provide no benefit to breeders and small farmers, the record keeping and tracking procedures of NAIS could discourage present and future breeders and small farmers, and thus have adverse impact to the conservation of rare breeds of livestock and poultry is anticipated, NAIS has moved into implementation too quickly for fair appraisal, comment, or design, and no evaluation of cost to benefit has been undertaken." -American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

"Mike John, National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) president, agrees a trace-back system is needed, but remains opposed to a mandatory program. John argues that if the government intervenes on this trace-back issue, the data becomes government property and producers lose control and confidentiality." -NCBA

Support for the USDA's proposed mandatory NAIS is crumbling among the large producers, industry and breed associations. Small producers virtually universally oppose NAIS. Homesteaders are against NAIS. Horse owners don't like NAIS either. Some states (ME, TX, VT, AL) have backed away from the USDA's proposal and are taking a wait and see attitude. The USDA's facade is showing pits, holes and large cracks. Now is the time to keep up the pressure, chipping away at their false arguments for Premises ID, Animal ID and Animal Tracking. Perhaps these things make sense for the big produces and meat exporters - let them have it. But the rest of us should not be burdened with an unworkable, expensive, unnecessary system. NAIS should be 100% voluntary and market driven - there is no need for government involvement.

Hat tips to: Dean, Laura, Lee, Sharon & Tom.

[ecurbh]

Horse owners don't like NAIS either.

Ping.

[HairOfTheDog]

Horse owners don't like NAIS either.

Well DUH! Anyone surprised that we'd balk at the idea of having to report to the government every time we take a horse off our property for a trail ride?

This is like turning any livestock owner into an ISO 9000 company, whether we ever sell animals or not... like Sarbanes Oxley for your child's pony. There was never any cause for the sweeping huge ideas these idiots came up with.

Intent on preserving the health of our herds, my butt. This is registration of all animals and their movements. What possible action could they use if they had this information? Confiscate them and kill them over one nearby illness is what they could do. No thanks.

Ping!

[Esther Ruth]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1655969/posts
First they come for the horses then they come for the cat then the bird then the goldfish then the ....

[HairOfTheDog]

Indeed, that's the way it is.

This issue doesn't get a lot of play on FR, and it should... I suspect because it's very complicated to figure out and few know it's even happening.

[Duchess47]

Thanks for the ping - this is good news :)

Me not liking the NAIS doesn't make any difference, the big guys however, carry some weight.

[CindyDawg]

The big guys are just made up of us little guys. We count, if there are enough of us:')