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Johanns criticizes new animal traceability plan

Some sharp criticism of USDA’s animal disease traceability plan coming from Nebraska U.S. Senator and former ag secretary Mike Johanns.  

“The so-called new animal ID is simply a mandatory system, from what I can tell,” Johanns says, “although it’s being promoted as a voluntary one.”

The USDA has announced that it is scrapping the National Animal ID system.  In its place, a new program that focuses on animal traceability, rather than animal ID, with states bearing more of the responsibility for decision-making.  USDA says the program will not be mandatory, except for animals moved in interstate commerce.  But Johanns says that provision means the program is mandatory, because so much of livestock now moves across the country.

“I would venture that the vast majority of animals in this country move from one state to another during their lifetime,” he says.

And Johanns says the states are rightfully concerned about having the new program, in his words, “dumped on them.”

“Looks like they’re going to be handed a hot potato of unfunded mandates, and a mandatory system that is not going to be supported in the country,” says Johanns.

USDA officials say it is not an unfunded mandate, that there will be federal funds to help develop and support the system.

AUDIO: Johanns’ comments in conference call with reporters (2 min MP3)

Link to video of Johanns’ Senate floor remarks