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Group urges comment on animal ID by Friday

A family farming group is urging producers to comment on the USDA’s proposal on mandatory animal identification this week. Friday, December 9th, is the deadline. Rhonda Perry, with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, says there are some positive changes from the former National Animal Identification System (N-A-I-S) proposal that so many farmers and ranchers were opposed to. Perry says, “While, they have made some improvements, certainly, it is not what we would want it to be and we still believe that it will have a negative impact on independent livestock farmers.”

The requirement for Premise ID is removed but others remain. Perry tells Brownfield, “They, at this point, are not including branding for example for as an official form of identification and that’s a problem for a number of cattle ranchers.”

And, Perry says, the new ID system is set up for an export market, adding, “That’s all fine and well but independent family farmers shouldn’t have to foot the tab for corporate agribusiness to export products. I think we need to maintain a voluntary system.”

Bottom line for Perry is they are opposed to any mandatory systems for producers that don’t address food safety issues on the other end, from the packers to consumers. She says producers are not the instigators of most food safety problems. By keeping it voluntary, she says, producers can comply if they wish for increased price and added value.

To comment on the Animal Disease Traceability proposed rule that was issued August 9th, go to aphis.usda.gov/traceability by December 9th, 2011.

AUDIO: Rhonda Perry, Program Director, Missouri Rural Crisis Center (4:00 mp3)