News

Secretary gets NAIS earful

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack listenedto pros and cons of a National Animal ID System Wednesday during a meeting that included 28 representatives of various stakeholders that will be affected in some way by the system. NAIS is currently stalled because of a lack of voluntary participation as well a lot of opposition and concerns, butVilsack isn’t giving up.

“I am hopeful that we can figure out ways in which we can minimize the concerns that were expressed today,” Vilsack told reporters following the meeting, “and look at creative ways to encourage more participation.”

The agency has been trying for five years to get a system going, and Vilsack wants to keep trying.

“I’m a new person to this job and so I come into it with a fresh pair of eyes,” said Vilsack in audio recordings provided by the USDA.

That suits cattle producer Chuck Kiker just fine. Kiker represented the U.S. Cattlemen’s at the gathering with the Ag Secretary.

“Hopefully (Vilsack) can bring something to the table that will bring everybody with some form of consensus so we can move forwardwith this,” said Kiker following the meeting.

Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA expressed his organization’s opposition to the system during the meeting.

“We believe NAIS is an invasive and unlawful encumbrance on commerce, and its effect isto impose additional production costs on every livestock producer,” said Bullard, whose group is still concerned about the system’s effects on cattlemen.

“NAIS would subject U.S. cattle producers to enforcement and compliance costs associated with the third-partymanagement of a colossal database within which culpability would be difficult to determine,” Bullard told the meeting participants.

Vilsack plans a series of listening sessions across the country to get more input on a National Animal ID System.