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Nebraska ag groups want livestock ID session inOmaha

Three Nebraska ag groups are supporting Senator Mike Johanns’ call for Omaha to be added to the USDA’s National Animal IdentificationSystem—NAIS—listening tour.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen and Nebraska Pork Producers Association issued a joint statement on the matter. Pork Producers executive director Larry Sitzman finds it odd that a Midwest location was not included on thetour.

“My immediate response was ‘The next thing the department will be holding is a listening session on pineapple growing in North Dakota’”, says Sitzman. “I mean, to me, that’s how silly this was.”

In addition to theregion’s animal production, Sitzman points out that three major livestock purchasers and packers have numerous facilities in the Midwest—and should be consulted on animal ID.

“If you look within a 500-mile radius of Omaha, Nebraska, you’re going to find hundreds ofthousands of livestock—whether they be cattle, dairy, beef cattle, swine, poultry, etcetera,” he says, “and this is more or less the breadbasket of animal agriculture production.”

Nebraska Cattlemen’s executive director Michael Kelsey agrees. “If youlook at the original listening session locations that USDA issued,” Kelsey says, “it’s very clear, from a geographical standpoint, that there’s a major hole right in the middle of the country.”

Kelsey says it’s a “head-scratcher” as to why theMidwest wasn’t on the list. Does Sitzman have any theories on the apparent snub?

“I really don’t know. Maybe it’s got to do with political pressures—groups that feel that they’re more important—I really don’t know,” Sitzman says. “I just find it very, verysurprising that they have overlooked the Midwest other than jumping out to Greeley, Colorado.”

Sitzman says the pork producers support animal ID and site registration. Kelsey says his group has a number of concerns with the NAIS—including confidentiality. But he saysthe USDA is doing itself a disservice by ignoring the cattlemen’s input.

For his part, Nebraska Farm Bureau president Keith Olsen says Midwestern producers have a lot at stake with NAIS and should have the chance to give their input.

Brownfieldwill provide coverage of next week's NAIS listening session in Austin, Texas.