From the Desk of… Premises Identification forms available
The number of animal disease outbreaks that have been reported around the globe over the past decade — and the cows that have tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy — have greatly intensified public interest in developing a national animal identification program for the purposes of protecting animal health. The European Union, Canada, and Australia already have animal identification systems in place. A strong U.S. identification system is in increasing demand as a necessary component of our Nation’s agriculture infrastructure.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made the implementation of an National Animal Identification System (NAIS) one of its top priorities. When the NAIS becomes fully operations, it will be capable of tracing a sick animal or group of animals back to the herd or premises that is the most likely source of infection. The sooner animal health officials can identify infected and exposed animals and premises, the sooner they can contain the disease and stop its spread.
The identification of premises that allow for the commingling of animals (production points) is the foundation of the NAIS and must be established before animals can be tracked. Knowing where animals are located is the key to efficient, accurate, and cost-effective epidemiologic investigations and disease-control efforts.
After premises are registered, another component of the NAIS- animal identification — will be intergrated into the system. Unique animal identification numbers will be issued to individually identified premises. In the case of animals that move in groups through the production chain — such as swine and poultry — producers themselves will be able to assign unique identifiers to each lot based on a standard protocol. After both premises and animals are identified in this uniform manner, the ultimate goal of the NAIS — animal tracking- will become possible.
Following premises registration, producers may participate in animal identification and tracking programs as provided in their area. As the NAIS progresses, the Animal Identification Number (AIN) will be implemented.
USDA is aware of producers’ concerns about the confidentiality of information collected as part of the NAIS and is taking them very seriously as APHIS explores the most effective means for collecting animal and premises identification information. Accordingly, USDA is investigating various options for protecting the information in the NAIS from public disclosure. It is important to note that the national repositories will include information only for animal and disease purposes.
Currently there is no timeline for fully implementing the NAIS. The identification of premises and animals, while requiring significant resources, is a fundamental and straightforward objective. However, collecting and reporting animal movement information to establish a travel record of each animal’s life is an enormous undertaking, requiring significant development and testing and substantial infrastructure.
Warren County livestock producers can now visit the FSA Service Center located at 811 Faulkner Springs Road and begin to register their premises on which livestock are located. In many cases, this will amount to registering your home address and any other tracts of land on which livestock are located. Information such as daytime and evening telephone numbers, the “911” street address, and a secondary contact are needed to register your premises. Why not stop in and register your farm and begin the process to healthier livestock operations for both you and the consumers of livestock products!