The National Animal Identification System: Basics, Blueprint, Timelines, and Processes

1. The National Animal Identification System: Basics, Blueprint, Timelines, and Processes Prepared by: C. Wilson GrayDistrict Extension Economist,Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Twin Falls Research and Extension CenterUniversity of Idaho Email: wgray@uidaho.edu Western Extension Marketing Committee Western Center for Risk Management Education

2. The National Animal Identification System • What is the National Animal Identification System? • A system capable of tracing an animal or group of animals back to the herd that is the most logical source of a disease of concern • Can trace potentially exposed animals that have moved from the subject premises. • trace back to all of the locations a suspect animal has been within 48 hours • provide information on all other animals that came in contact with the subject animal

3. The National Animal Identification System • Why is it Important to Track Animals? • national plan will enhance disease preparedness • provides the ability to quickly trace animals exposed to disease • permits rapid detection, containment, and elimination of disease threats • This is essential to preserving the domestic and international marketability of our nation’s animals and animal products

4. The National Animal Identification System • Are Only U.S. Animals Affected by the NAIS? • Animals entering the United States from other countries will be subject to the same ID procedures • The ID devices on animals entering the United States would remain on the animals as official devices • The Canadian ID program is compatible with NAIS. • Are the NAIS and Traceability Connected? • NAIS is designed to quickly trace live animal movements in the event of a disease outbreak • Traceability can be established in a two-step process • “farm to slaughter” and “plant to retail” • Tracking throughout the system is possible, but only at higher cost

5. How Does the Recent BSE Discovery Impact the NAIS? • USDA accelerated implementation of a nationwide animal ID plan • Mad-Cow Disease is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in cattle • BSE has never been found in meat or muscle cuts • non-ambulatory animals are banned from entering the food system • important to be able to quickly trace an animal’s premises history • NAIS should allow for this to occur within 48 hours

6. Who is Supporting the NAIS? • dairy, cattle, sheep, and swine industries have developed preliminary implementation plans • All other livestock are becoming engaged in the plan • goats, cervids, equine, aquaculture • poultry, llamas, and bison

7. How Will Implementation Occur? • NAIS defines the standards and framework for a national animal ID system including: • a premise numbering system • an individual and group/lot animal number system • standards for data and data handling • When Will Implementation of the NAIS Happen? • 29 state and tribal pilot projects were funded on August 29, 2004 • USDA planned to begin issuing premises ID numbers by the fall of 2004 • farms, ranches, feed lots, packing plants, and other livestock locations

8. NAIS Timeline

9. What Will the NAIS Cost? • Federal government may pay $165 million, or one-third of the cost, over five years • partners in bearing the cost • USDA • state governments • the livestock industry • Costs of the plan are • ID device(s) • retrofitting facilities to utilize the ID devices • upgrades to software to handle the database requirements • Volume requirements and technology advances will lower costs

10. How Will the NAIS Work? • NAIS currently supports the following species and/or industries: • bison, beef cattle, dairy cattle • swine, sheep, goats, camelids (alpacas and llamas) • horses, cervids (deer and elk), poultry (eight species including game birds) • aquaculture (eleven species)

11. Three Phases of Implementation • Phase I • making premises ID available • this should be implemented in the fall of 2004 • Phase II • individual or group/lot ID of animals inter- and intrastate commerce • planned for implementation by February 2005. • Phase III • retrofitting remaining processing plants, market outlets, and other industry segments with appropriate technology to track animals throughout the livestock marketing chain • planned for implementation by July 2006.

12. Implementation • Initial focus on the cattle, swine, and small ruminant industries. • standards apply to all animals within the represented industries regardless of their intended use as seed stock, commercial, pets, or other personal uses • Animal ID work began with the cattle industry due to concerns about Mad-Cow Disease • ID work will also begin with other major food animals such as hogs, sheep, and poultry

13. For More Information • The U.S. Animal Identification Program is at • www.usaip.info • USDA/APHIS also has information at • http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/highlights/section3/section3-10.html

14. C. Wilson Gray: The National Animal Identification System: Basics, Blueprint, Timelines, and Processes DeeVon Bailey: Benefits and Costs of Animal Identification Michael Roberts: Product Liability Types (negligence vs. strict liability) Michael Roberts: Information Management Confidentiality Wendy Umberger: Cool vs. Animal ID Darrell Mark: Structural Issues - Feedlot/Stockers/Cow-Calf/Purebred Ruby Ward: Value of Production Information Kynda Curtis: Consumer Driven Forces Jim Robb: Technical and Pricing Issues Related to Traceability Russell Tronstad: Challenges of Adoption in Western Production Systems Michael Coe: Working with Technology Providers Dillon Feuz and Jim Robb: Implications for the future Publications In This Series

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