A Mandatory National Animal Identification System has at least two cattlemen organizations on the same page. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back after this with some thoughts.The debate over a mandatory or voluntary National Animal Identification System or (NAIS) has been going on for a few years now. Leesa Zalesky writes in Western Ag Reporter that two Democrat Congressmen, David Scott from Georgia and Collin Peterson from Minnesota are serious about pushing a mandatory NAIS program forward. I will tell you one thing, the minute government officials use "mandatory" and "program" in the same sentence a red flag goes up for about 99 percent of ranchers and farmers. Some might like to raise sheep, but none of them want to be considered a member that wooly, ovine species. Bill Nutt with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Max Thornsberry, representing R-CALF USA both testified before the House Ag Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry in opposition to a mandatory national system. Both men have real concerns about the confidentiality of producer records and privacy issues with a national data base. Thornsberry and Nutt reminded advocates of a mandatory system that it is an animal disease trace back system, not a food safety tool that is much too costly for producers. NCBA supports a voluntary ID system, but I still have to wonder about confidentiality with computers involved. I do agree any animal ID program designed by a bureaucracy will be overly expensive. I'm Jeff Keane.

Western Ag Reporter 3/19/09