National Animal Identification System Still Struggling

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is once again likely to remain exactly as it is now. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced earlier in the year that the USDA would host a series of listening sessions across the country to gather feedback and ideas on how to improve the currently voluntary program. The number of additional listening sessions was expanded in late May and are still currently ongoing. The feedback that the Secretary has been getting has not been in favor of the program. Animal agriculture groups such as the Kansas Cattlemen's Association have done more than provide feedback to the USDA. According to the High Plains Journal the KCA recentily provided testimony to Congress on the NAIS. The KCA:

detailed how NAIS is not a food safety issue and explained that NAIS is not a disease prevention program, but rather a management and identification program. "The implementation of mandatory NAIS, when looked at critically, does nothing to protect food safety or the health of the consumer. The capability of tracking meat products is lost once the livestock hits the packer. Therefore, since we have a system in place that has been utilized and functions, which takes care of these issues, why do we need to spend another $175.9 million on a program that a large majority of producers do not favor?

Either way Brownfield has reported that the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee cut off the USDA's spending for NAIS stating that the program does not have enough participants to be effective. Secretary Vilsack said that the issue is still on the table since there is still a long ways to go in the appropriations process and that the scheduled listening sessions will still be held.

Posted: 6/19/2009