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United
States Animal Identification Plan - "Protecting American
Animal Agriculture" DEADLINE
FOR COMMENTS: January 31, 2004 (VERY IMPORTANT that you COMMENT! And
strongly encourage others to do so!) (IMPORTANT
NOTE: "These standards will apply to all animals ...
regardless of their intended use as seedstock, commercial, pets
or other personal uses."
It's past time to wake up and fight the control juggernaut -- how well
publicized has this 'program' been? How many people understand that this
applies to 'pets
or other personal uses'?
How about reference to the 'national
herd'? Does that not sound
like the government owns the livestock/animals? This is not Soviet
Russia, but the resemblance grows greater with each passing day! The
Control Trap is springing shut -- and you'd be strongly advised to share
this with everyone you know that has a cat or dog, or fish, bird, or
pleasure horse, and so on -- because the days of carefree travel with
any animals will soon be over, unless a nationwide OUTCRY is heard, and
heard loudly and SOON! The implementation is due in July 2004 -- BEFORE
the elections, so the damage will have been done BEFORE you can vote the
implementers out of office. Write Letters to the Editor! Speak to
everyone you can! Tell your local Rotary Club or any other club/group
you belong to! Do Something and Do It NOW!) NEWS:
Period Extended for Input on US Animal ID Plan See
More http://usaip.info/newsrelease12-04-03.htm (This
is below, immediately following the 'executive summary' text.) USAIP
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TO SEND COMMENTS, GO
HERE http://usaip.info/generalcomments.htm
Linda@USAIP.info
communication@USAIP.info
Period Extended for Input on US
Animal ID Plan December 4, 2003
http://usaip.info/newsrelease12-04-03.htm Here is the FAQ page:
1. What
is the U. S. Animal Identification Plan? 1.
What is the U. S. Animal Identification Plan? The
U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) defines the standards and
framework for implementing and maintaining a phased-in national
animal identification system for the United States. 2.
Why is this program needed? A
national animal identification system is needed to help protect American
animal agriculture. This
national plan, which identifies all food animals and livestock, will
enhance disease preparedness by allowing the U.S. to identify any
animals exposed to disease and will facilitate stopping the spread of
that disease. In addition, it will provide benefits to industry in
terms of market access and consumer demand. The USAIP will uphold
the U.S.s reputation for having a safe food supply and will promote
continued confidence in agricultural or livestock products. Having
a working system that allows for tracebacks to all premises that had
direct contact with an animal with a foreign animal disease within 48
hours of discovery will reduce the financial and social impacts of such
a disease. 3.
Is this plan part of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)? No,
the USAIP is not intended to be a part of Country of Origin Labeling.
The plans sole intent is to create the ability to track animal
disease to its source within a 48-hour period. 4.
Why 48-hour traceback capability? To
protect the health of the U.S. herd, sound scientific principles
indicate that being able to track and contain a disease event within 48
hours is essential. For the industry to maintain consumer confidence and
protect its economic viability, the industry will need to demonstrate
its ability to meet this standard 5.
What are the benefits for producers in adopting the U.S. Animal
Identification Plan? The
adoption of a national identification system will help secure the health
of the national herd. The program will provide producers and
animal health officials with the infrastructure to improve efforts in
current disease eradication and control, protect against foreign animal
disease outbreaks and provide infrastructure to address threats from
deliberate introduction of disease. The
industry may integrate the standards and technologies defined in the
USAIP with their management systems and performance recording programs.
The utilization of the same ID technologies for both regulatory and
industry programs allows for the development of a more cost effective
and user-friendly system for the producer. Producers can also benefit
from additional animal identification information obtained to improve
production efficiencies and add value to their products. However, the
information systems are completely separate; production data will not be
transmitted to nor maintained in the national identification databases.
6.
How much will the program cost? The plan for the program is currently being developed. Initial start-up costs will be different than the costs of a fully operational system in all 50 states. 7.
Who will pay for the plan? It
is anticipated that the federal government and all industry
stakeholders will share in the costs of an identification system. 8.
Where do I get a premises ID? The
administration and maintenance of premises ID lies with each states
department of Agriculture. State departments will use a
national mechanism to obtain a unique national premises ID, and will
record additional information such as type of premises, contact name,
address, and phone number to contact the person in charge of a premises.
Key pieces of information will be sent to the national premises database
that can be used in the case of a disease trace-back. 9.
What forms of identification will be used? The
form of animal identification used is intended to optimize accuracy,
promote efficient information transfer, and be practical and effective
in its application for individual species and/or industries. Species
groups will have the choice of designing a system that may or may not
use accompanying visible ID. For example, the cattle industry
plans to use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology using an
eartag attachment. Other species are exploring methods suitable
for their industries, although effective official identification methods
as described in the 9 CFR will be maintained for certain species.
Electronic identification may be necessary for efficient and accurate
data collection and animal tracking in some species or in particular
animal movement scenarios. Official identification tags will not
replace management ear tags unless the species groups establish those
options. Ultimately it is anticipated that technological advances will
allow for one tag or ID device that performs multiple functions. Implants
(i.e., microchips) may be permitted for certain species in which no
other form of ID is suitable and assuming that the implant site has been
approved by the FDA and FSIS relative to ease of discovery at slaughter
when appropriate. 10.
Where do I get an official ID tag or device? Currently
the distribution mechanism for ID devices is being discussed. It has not
been decided where and how a producer can obtain official ID devices at
this time. Different species will have different requirements in regards
to the type of device that can be used, however standards in regards to
RFID technology and code structure, and retention will ensure that
various ID devices can be read with RFID readers that meet the same RFID
technology standards. 11.
Will producers need to have a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID)
reader? Radio
frequency (RF) technology is the form of electronic identification that
is currently being considered. Producers that have livestock
that utilize RFID for official identification will not necessarily need
to have a RFID reader. For example, the producer will be
able to record the RFID code of the electronic device before it is
applied to an animal and cross-reference the code with a visual-tag
number. This will allow them to maintain a record of the RFID code
without having the read (scan) the transponder. For cattle, the
plan calls for the utilization of a RFID eartag attachment on which the
RFID code is to be printed for visual readability. While reading
and recording the RFID code manually is not ideal, it can be achieved.
An
array of readers will be available on the market; ones that merely read
and display the RFID code to ones that are attached to an advanced
handheld computer. Palm type devices encased together with a built
in reader are becoming quite popular. 12.
Who will pay for RFID readers and their installation in markets and
slaughter plants? Who will pay for the electronic identification
devices? The
plan is being developed as an industry-government
partnership, so it is expected that industry and the government will
share the cost of the necessary elements. Exactly how those costs
will be shared is currently under discussion within the various Species
Working Groups. 13.
If I am currently using an ID program through a private service or
marketing alliance, will my ID be usable in the USAIP? Yes,
assuming the program you are using will be compliant with the official
USAIP standards. 14.
Should I, or my State Cattle Association, consider options for aligning
ourselves with a database management provider so I can be sure I comply
with the USAIP? The Steering Committee would characterize such action as premature. There is definitely no urgency as no immediate implementation requirements have been established. The Steering Committee, and in the future, the USAIP Oversight Board, will clearly communicate dates that will call for action or producer-participation. The program will be phased in over time, and an adequate transition period will be established for producers to work into the system. The
USDA is taking necessary steps to have the standards established as
official;
the U.S. Animal Identification Number is an example. The
standards established in the USAIP are to be recognized as official so
industry initiatives that are developing programs containing an ID
component may start to incorporate them if they so desire. Additionally,
this will allow the standards to be used in various pilot projects that
are being formulated. Also, please note that the timetables
outlined in the USAIP are target dates, which will be updated through
consensus of the Species Working Groups. 15.
Who will be responsible for ID application in livestock? During the phase-in period, animals will need to be identified as they leave whatever premises they are on regardless of where they were born. After the first few years of the program, identifying animals will be the responsibility of the premises of birth producers. For producers who lack equipment for individual identification, tagging stations will be available. 16.
What is a tagging station and where will such stations be located? A
tagging station is an entity operating from a fixed location that has
been officially approved by USDA/APHIS to apply ID devices to animals
that are being moved into commerce. The USAIP work plan recognizes that
not all producers will have facilities to individually tag animals
before they leave the farm. Therefore, producers who are required to
individually tag animals that leave the farm can elect to truck animals
to an approved tagging station and pay the operator of the tagging
station a fee to apply individual animal ID devices and report
the ID information to the central database. Such tagging
stations may include, but not be limited to an existing livestock
marketing facility, a veterinary clinic, a fairgrounds or a facility
specifically dedicated to performing tagging services. 17.
What data will be required to be kept, by whom and in what form? This
part of the plan is under development.
It is anticipated that the final plan will be user-friendly such that
it will be easy for all stakeholders to implement and make part of their
daily practice. Ideally animal movements will be electronically
tracked and sent from the stakeholders to the central database.
For the plan to be successful, this key part, i.e. data entry, will need
to be easy to follow, thus achievable in real-time such that data entry
becomes a routine management practice. Only
essential information will be reported to the central database. In
the case of individual animals, this is: 1)an
US AIN (US Animal Identification Number), 2)
the premises ID that the US AIN was seen at or allocated to, and
3) the date it was seen or allocated. Additional
information that can be important in a disease trace-back such as
species, breed, sex, age or date of birth can also be reported if
available. In the case of group or lot movements, the key data are the
groups Lot ID number, the premises ID the Lot ID number was seen
at, and the date it was seen. If species is available, this can also be
provided to the central database. The
goal of the work plan is to work with existing information systems so
additional recording of information by producers and auction markets is
minimized.
18.
Who will have access to information in the National Animal ID Databases? Only
state and federal health officials will have access to the premises and
animal ID information when performing their duties to maintain the
health of the national herd. Proper safeguards are being
researched and will be put in place to ensure that the data is protected
from public disclosure. 19.
What species are included in the program? Currently,
the species include beef, dairy, swine, and sheep. It is
anticipated that equine, aquaculture, poultry, goats, camelids, cervids
and any other species deemed necessary to protect animal agriculture
will be included in the future. 20.
Will this be a mandatory program? Efforts
are geared toward developing a national animal identification program
that will provide for the ability to rapidly track animals exposed to a
disease concern, and will meet the needs of producers, animal
industries, domestic and international markets and consumers. The plan
still needs to be completed and the system needs to be tested to be sure
it is effective and workable. Incremental implementation of the
plan as development continues will allow for potential problems within
the system to be identified and the plan modified to address those
problems. Ultimately there needs to be full compliance for
the system to work as effectively as it should. Once the USAIP has
been finalized, considered workable and accepted by industry, it is
likely that industry and market forces will drive the process towards
full compliance. At that time, USDA will work with industry
and state partners to achieve full participation with the USAIP. 21.
Will I be able to sell my livestock if they are not officially
identified? Yes,
as the plan will begin as a voluntary program. Over time some
markets may require animals to be identified that are not identified now.
Species where ID is currently required will continue to have to be
identified prior to entering commerce, i.e. sheep and goats under the
national Scrapie eradication program. As
the program is phased in, all animals of covered species will be
encouraged to have premises identification, and eventually individual
identification,
prior to sale. For producers who lack facilities to apply identification
devices at the premises of birth, there will be provisions for
initiating the process at the point of sale. 22.
Can animals be identified as a group? Yes
an animal production system can use Group/Lot identification if the
producer is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of state animal
health officials that, through group identification and production
records, traceback to all premises with direct contacts of a suspect
animal can occur in 48 hours. Each group will be identified with a
unique and standardized number. Verifiable records will be
required to further document premises ID and dates of movement. 23.
What are the penalties for not using the program? At
this point, the USAIP is not fully developed and producers are not yet
required to comply with any rules. When the plan is finished,
the market forces may drive the process towards compliance. 24.
What are the liability issues of this program for producers?
Producers
are, and have always been responsible for the livestock they produce.
If practices are employed that would endanger consumers at any level the
producer responsible for creating that threat could have increased
liability. Merely having the animals Identified through the USAIP
will neither increase nor decrease that liability. Effective
traceability can help protect producers who apply best management
practices. The system can help limit liability and narrow the scope of
eradication efforts in the case of a disease emergency by being able to
document that appropriate and responsible measures were followed. 25.
What is the timeline for implementing this program? Several
steps need to be completed before the USAIP could be fully implemented,
however the USAIP recommends that: 7
All
states have a premises identification system initiated by July, 2004; 7
Unique,
individual or group/lot numbers be available for issuance by the middle
of 2004; 7
All
cattle, swine, and small ruminants possess individual or group/lot
identification for interstate movement by July 2005;
7
All animals of the
remaining species/industries identified above be in similar compliance
by July 2006. These
standards will apply to all animals in
commerce
within the represented industries regardless of their intended use
as seedstock, commercial, pets or other personal uses. 26.
Who has developed this plan? The
National Animal Identification Development Team has developed the USAIP.
It is a group of approximately 100 animal and livestock industry
professionals representing over 70 associations, organizations, and
government agencies. Development has been a voluntary effort by all
participants working collaboratively to establish an effective
national animal identification plan. 27.
Who is on the Team? Individuals
on the team include producers, animal and livestock association and
organizational representatives, and State and Federal governmental
animal production and health professionals. Represented industries
include beef, dairy, swine, sheep, goats, and cervids. Other
species groups are welcome and encouraged to participate. 28.
What government entities will have oversight of this plan? In
keeping with the aim of the program to safeguard the health of the U.S
livestock population through disease surveillance and monitoring, that
includes trace back to individual animals within 48 hours, it is
envisioned that USDA-APHIS will administer the program.
Further, the plan calls for governance as a joint federal-state
responsibility with industry input. To ensure uniformity of
operations across the U.S., APHIS and individual state animal health
entities will develop and administer key regulatory elements of
the plan. 29.
What will be the ID requirements for animals entering the United States
from other countries? Animals
entering the country will be subject to the same identification
requirements as animals in the
U.S. that move interstate and/or through commerce.
Currently, various species working groups are defining species-specific
identification requirements. 30. With
the phase-out of existing official animal identification devices by July
2005, what will happen with Brucellosis vaccination tags? Will they
still be used? The USAIP does not yet specify how
it will affect the animal identification protocols currently associated
with the Brucellosis eradication program. It is likely that Brucellosis
vaccination tags will be phased out gradually as individual
vaccination records are included in the database linked to each USAIN.
31. What will happen
with the national Scrapie eradication program's ID system? With
uniformity and consistency being key objectives of the USAIP, the U.S.
Animal Identification Number (USAIN) will become the official number for
use in the Scrapie eradication program. It is likely that animals
currently Identified through other official plans/programs will be
"grandfathered" into the program, meaning producers will phase
in the USAIN on animals Identified for the first time after a mutually
acceptable date. 32.
Where can interested stakeholders go to obtain more information about
this plan? The
primary source of up-to-the-minute information is http://www.usaip.info
- an interactive, user-friendly website that provides details on the
development of the plan as well as specific information directed at the
segments of the livestock industry involved in the identification
effort. Also, fact sheets, brochures, and other forms of media
will be developed to target those needing information on the USAIP.
33.
Is there still time to have input into the plan? The
U.S. Animal Identification Development Team is seeking comments from all
interested individuals. The comment period runs until January
31, 2004. You can send comments 7
from
the USAIP web site: http://www.usaip.info
7
by
faxing 719-538-8847 or 7
by mailing to USAIP Comments: 660 Southpointe Court, Suite 314, Colorado
Springs, CO 80906. Species-specific
working groups are being formed to provide input to the USAIP.
Final reports are to be submitted to the National Animal Identification
Development Team Steering Committee by April 1, 2004. To find out
who represents your species on a species-specific working group, contact
Neil Hammerschmidt at Neil.E.Hammerschmidt@aphis.usda.gov
or look on the http://www.usaip.info
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