July 11, 2006

US farmers displeased with USDA animal tracing programme

Cattle producers in the US state of Arkansas are seeing red over USDA's animal tracing programme, which requires farmers to put electronic tags on their cattle to enable tracing.  

The Arkansas Animal Producers Association, a newly formed organisation lobbying against the USDA

animal tracing programme, said it was concerned about the cost to farmer.

American farmers, perennially suspicious of big government, are afraid of losing control of their farms with every activity being electronically traceable.

At a meeting to sign petitions against the programme, many farmers expressed reservations about what they viewed as the government's increased meddling in their activities. 

Phil Wyrick, the director of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission who is responsible for implementing the programme in the state, said there was a need to have a better understanding of the programme.

Wyrick said as a cattle farmer himself, he would not want anyone meddling in his farm activity as well. However, he assured the association there was no intention for the government to interfere and the programme would only be used for the purpose of tracing diseases.

Present threats from terrorists include the introduction of disease into the food chain, Wyrick said, adding that the tracing programme is a way to deter bio-terrorism.

Compliance with the USDA programme is voluntary currently, but could be mandatory by 2009.