December 18, 2007
US cattle group encourages premise registration
THE National Cattlemen's Foundation has joined the call of the US Department of Agriculture and other livestock groups to register their premises for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
The foundation is committed to assisting producers in crisis situations, including efforts to quickly contain animal diseases, and making sure producers have information on premises registration is a responsibility that fits the foundation's mission, According to Bob Josserand, a cattle feeder from Hereford, Texas, and chair of the foundation's board of trustees, said their participation to NAIS programme is to assist producers in crisis situations, including efforts to quickly contain animal diseases and other outbreaks.
Premises registration requires very basic information, such as an address and phone number for a farm or ranch, so animal health officials can quickly notify producers in the event of a disease or other emergency that puts their livestock at risk, Josserand said.
"Rapid notification is critical" because the sooner a producer is told about this risk, the sooner he will have information to protect his herd and investment, added Carl Crabtree, a cattle producer from Grangeville, Idaho, and chair of the beef industry's joint producer education committee.
Josserand said the foundation will provide resources for local and state cattle producer organisations to deliver the premises registration message to producers.
NAIS is being developed by a government-industry team of animal health and industry representatives and is a system that would trace animals back to farms, ranches and other locations of origin within 48 hours in the event of an animal disease or other public emergency. It is scheduled for launch on Jan. 1, 2009.
A premises is a location in which a covered animal is located or through which it moves, e.g., a farm, ranch, western lands ranch on which cattle or other animals graze on parcels of range not congruously related, auction market, feedlot, plant, laboratory or location in which an animal is exhibited or performs.
