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USDA steps up efforts to track livestock
CNN ^ | Friday, May 28, 2004 | By Marsha Walton CNN

Posted on 01/26/2006 9:07:00 AM PST by barj

Cows may soon have ID similar to Social Security number By Marsha Walton CNN Friday, May 28, 2004 Posted: 9:58 AM EDT (1358 GMT)

The U.S. government wants all cattle to have individual identification numbers.

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Every cow in the United States may someday have a unique ID number.

"We want to allocate an individual identification, just like you and I have Social Security numbers," said Bill Hawks, an undersecretary of marketing and regulatory programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

. . . .

"We need to be able to identify animals, identify them quickly to control diseases," said Hawks.

Although the case of mad cow disease in Washington was contained, about 50 countries stopped importing U.S. beef following the discovery. The human variant of mad cow, known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, has claimed more than 140 lives in Britain since 1996.

Only two countries, Mexico and Canada, have since resumed imports.

The USDA recently launched the first phase of its National Animal Identification System with $18.8 million in funding. The long-term goal of the project is to be able to identify farms where a specific animal lived within 48 hours of a possible outbreak.

. . . ."The money that's at stake ... if something happens will outweigh many, many times the cost of putting a system together," said Dr. Robert Fourdraine, chief operating officer of the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium. "I really feel what we're working on is to protect the animal health, however I see the long-term rewards to our producers as well."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/05/24/animalidentification/index.html

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: cattle; eminentdomain; foodsupply; id; livestock; privacy; rfid; tagging; usda
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I know this is a little dated, but I went to a meeting on this last night and they fully want to implement this in three years. Scary stuff:

Every livestock animal in the nation (and what they don't say, but suspect, eventually all animals), will be tagged with electronic tracking. EVERY MOVEMENT WILL HAVE TO BE REPORTED TO THE GOVERNMENT. You run your cattle, sheep, llamas, whatever on to your neighbors property to graze for fire control, it needs to be reported. Every porperty that has stock on it, whether owned or leased or whatever, must have a property ID number.

I proposed this scenario at the meeting: you go to your county fair rodeo - every competing horse, all the rough stock, all the ropiing stock, every pick up and show horse, every sheep for the mutton busting, every goat, avery animal will be scanned entering the fair grounds AND REPORTED TO THE USDA. Upon leaving, they will be scanned again and what ever property they go to will need to REPORT THEIR ARRIVAL. Furthermore, every animal that "co-mingles" will need to be registered. That means all fowl at the fair, all guienea pigs, , everything. THE ANSWER WAS YES!

Eventually this will at least include all swine, poultry, horses, cattle, sheep, camelids. They are trying to sell this to us as to how much safer the food will be and what a great management tool this is. For a small herd the estimated cost per animal is $25 (each tag $1.75-$3, scanner $800-several thousand, software, etc.).

In my opinion, this is a test project for tracking and monitoring other things in the future, this is a socialist agenda (your property is OUR property), this is another way to tax, this is an effort to control who may produce.

1 posted on 01/26/2006 9:07:03 AM PST by barj
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To: barj

It already includes horses. Soon you will have to have implants for all livestock. Derry Brownfield has been hammering on this. I dunno, but I wouldn't mock calling it the "mark of the beast".


2 posted on 01/26/2006 9:16:49 AM PST by Tyche (It is easier to take life than to give it.)
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To: barj
"We need to be able to identify animals, identify them quickly to control diseases," said Hawks.

That's step #1.
Step #2 is to make livestock eligible for MediCare and MedicAid.
Step #3 is to legalize livestock marriages.

3 posted on 01/26/2006 9:17:58 AM PST by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: barj

http://nationalpropertyowners.org
National Property Owners

Full research sections on NAIS


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563271/posts
Healthy People 2010

Information on where the funding came from for NAIS


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1561077/posts
Animal Tagging and SCHOOL LUNCHES???

Information on some of the partners on these posts


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1564815/posts
Digital Angel and Microchip

Info on the technology that will be used for the tagging


4 posted on 01/26/2006 9:24:04 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Willie Green

Just a trial run for the new "edollars" or whatever they call the new rfid currency that will take over in the US


5 posted on 01/26/2006 9:24:14 AM PST by vrwc0915 ("Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants,)
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To: Calpernia

WOW! Thanks for your work. I'll check all this out.


6 posted on 01/26/2006 9:26:34 AM PST by barj
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To: freepatriot32; prairiebreeze; tiamat; Ladysmith; barj

ping


7 posted on 01/26/2006 9:33:16 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Calpernia

I've just looked at a couple of those references. UNBELIEVABLE!!

Logistically, I do not believe that it will work, but that is no reason to roll over on this.

At one point during the evening, I stood up and firstly noted that these things are enacted by folks that do not work livestock themselves (getting them loaded to move or driving them is often times a feat in and of itself let alone scanning and reporting).
Secondly, I noted this is what happens when we look at socialist countries and try to play by their rules (the "Europe does it" argument was raised). We live by a different set of rules.
Third, when looked at from a socialist point of view, government begins to view MY property as THEIR property. And they clearly do not care about increased costs or labor, as they can tax or have me pay for it and as they only want large producers who lobby congress and can foot the cost.

I got a smattering of applause.

This is why when they were talking about the "Sausage king" killing federal inspectors on this site I understood EXACTLY how he felt. Folks do not understand why I think the USDA and FDA should NOT exist. The "for the public good" argument makes me sick as it quickly leads us down the path of totalitarianism.


8 posted on 01/26/2006 9:40:36 AM PST by barj
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To: barj

>>>Logistically, I do not believe that it will work, but that is no reason to roll over on this.

You need to go back and read my Healthy People 2010 link more closely.

The CFRs and terms of service are stating the grant monies transfers ownership to the Grantor.

That is why the NAIS language is using terms such as National Herd.

I somehow don't think the NGOs that made the monies available really care how many guinea fowl are running around in your yard.


9 posted on 01/26/2006 9:57:40 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: barj

Well there is that. That and this scheme would make it alot easier for the IRS to put tax liens on a herd of cows, and also track them as taxable property. When you give your daughter a beef for Christmas, you will have to stick a 1099 in the card.


10 posted on 01/26/2006 10:43:03 AM PST by FreeInWV
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To: barj

>>>>the "Europe does it" argument was raised). We live by a different set of rules.

We don't live by a different set of rules, anymore.

Go here:

http://nationalpropertyowners.org/nais.html

Scroll down to the FAQ on NAIS

Download the Council Decision from the Office of Journal of the European Communities.

We were sold out.


11 posted on 01/26/2006 11:35:00 AM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: barj

All right, somebody needs to post the picture of the cow with the barcode in her ear with the "It's not just for livestock anymore" caption!


12 posted on 01/26/2006 11:41:40 AM PST by Still Thinking (Disregard the law of unintended consequences at your own risk.)
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To: Still Thinking
No one cares by the lack of response on this thread

frogs in a kettle

13 posted on 01/26/2006 12:37:30 PM PST by vrwc0915 ("Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants,)
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To: barj

Heads up.

One of the people that runs http://www.nonais.org/ just received a phone call from the USDA.

The following is an exact quote:

I just got a call from “‘Alice’ calling on behalf of the USDA.” She wanted to know if I would take part in a survey and said it would only take up a few minutes of my time. I asked what the questions are. Turns out she’s gathering the information that they could use to “Voluntarily” enroll me in NAIS without my permission. This already happened in Washington state. Watch out! The USDA and some states are making a big deal about how many “voluntary” enrollments they already have from farmers. They use this number to emphisize that farmers strongly support NAIS. Makes me wonder. Be very wary of any communications from the USDA and other agencies. Remember: “They’re from the government and they’re here to help us.”


14 posted on 02/01/2006 5:39:32 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: freepatriot32; prairiebreeze; tiamat; Ladysmith

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1565481/posts?page=14#14


15 posted on 02/01/2006 5:44:04 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: vrwc0915

post 14


16 posted on 02/01/2006 5:44:34 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: FreeInWV

post 14


17 posted on 02/01/2006 5:45:19 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: barj
The draft "Strategic Plan" for NAIS is here at the USDA.

I normally avoid words such as "idiots" except when talking about gun grabbers and the far left. However, I just cannot imagine what kind of idiots come up with this NAIS stuff, but they too are idiots, and ill-intentioned ones as far as I am concerned.

The program standards are here.

If it turns out that any nationally elected official has been involved in this, I would be most surprised. This reeks as far as I am concerned, and I cannot imagine any politician publicly putting up his hands for this except for maybe the most progressive of the Progressive Caucus.

The best bit for me is where they list all of the animal codings:

Clams = CLM, crawfish = CRA, catfish = CTF, mussels = MSL, oysters = OYS, salmon = SAL, striped bass = SBA, shrimp = SHR, scallops = SLP, tilapia = TIL, trout = TRO, bovine (bison and cattle) = BOV, camelid (alpaca and llama) = CAM, caprine (goats) = CAP, deer = DEE, elk = ELK, equine (horses1) = EQU, ovine (sheep) = OVI, porcine (swine) = POR, chickens = CHI, ducks = DUC, geese = GEE, guineas = GUI, pigeon = PGN, pheasants = PHE, quail = QUA, turkeys = TUR. (Table 10, page 15 of the program standard. And then there is a much larger breakdown of breeds within categories in the technical standards supplement on pages 14-17.)

And of course, they want lots of laws to prevent citizens from removing, changing, or counterfeiting a tag. (And I am sure that they will be as rationally applied as, say, our wetlands legislation is so famously applied.) You can find the prohibitions on page 7 of the draft program standards; they include (of course) criminalizing removal of a functional tag from a live animal.

Another interesting sentence when discussing the characteristics of the tag (found on page 28 of the draft standard): "Printed information on the tag will require a U.S. logo and the AIN" (AIN being the Animal Identification Number), and a couple of items down in the table: "The US Shield shall have a minimum width of 0.2 inches (5 mm)." I think that they meant USDA where they have US here, but, then again, maybe they really do want a "US Shield" put on these animals.

18 posted on 02/01/2006 7:34:32 PM PST by snowsislander
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To: snowsislander

Take a look at the CFR wording I have up here:

http://nationalpropertyowners.org/CFRInfo.html

It really sounds like the GRANTOR, which are the NGOs, take ownership of everything the monies from the grants touch.

Is that why the language keeps using terms such as 'the national herd'?

Is this eminent domain on steroids?


19 posted on 02/01/2006 8:24:08 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: snowsislander

http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/109/s1534.pdf

S. 1534: Safe and Secure Food Act of 2005

Official Title: A bill to reduce the risk to the food supply from intentional contamination, and for other purposes.

Status:
Introduced (By Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL])

This bill is in the first step in the legislative process. Introduced Senate bills go first to Senate committees that consider whether the bill should be presented to the Senate as a whole. The majority of bills never make it out of committee.

Introduced: Jul 28, 2005
Last Action: Jul 28, 2005: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.




FOOD SECURITY.

(1) developing a security plan that addresses the specific and vulnerabilities of the establishment (your farm)

(2) developing an emergency response plan for the establishment (Farm)

(3) securing establishment boundaries (Gate it Danno, don't let anyone on your property including those predators, human and animal)

(4) providing guards, alarms, and outside lighting, as necessary (sounds like a concentration camp to me)

(5) performing background checks before hiring new personnel (ok all! every time you hire people or acquire an animal, it's a background check!)

(6) limiting access to the establishment; (Now we have to post a sign outside warning people premise is hazardous-if passed)

(7) accounting for missing stock (Now how many chicks did I have?)

(8) implementing mail-handling procedures; and

(9) such other security procedures (A little vague I would say) as the Secretary determines to be necessary to prevent unintentional or = intentional contamination of meat and meat food products.


20 posted on 02/01/2006 8:59:19 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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