01/17/06 Animal ID database consortium

American Rancher January 17, 2006 The United States Animal Identification Organization, USIAO, has been formed to assume management of an animal movement database. Rick Stott of Boise, Idaho, a member of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Animal ID Commission, and a charter member of USIAO board of directors, explains. Stott: "NCBA was directed by its members to initiate a non-profit entity that would manage the national database. So over the last eight months or so this commission has put together and reviewed various software products, databases and has invested thousands of dollars and thousands of man hours to kick start this whole process. Now we are in the final stage and it's time for NCBA to kick the baby out the door so to speak." Stott, who has worked extensively on the Northwest Pilot Project, hopes other cattle industry groups will put aside their differences and join this animal ID effort. He also notes the organization is not limited to cattle and other livestock sectors are welcome. Stott says a privately controlled system will be more efficient and less costly for producers and can better protect confidential information than a government controlled database. You can find out more at beefusa.org I'm Bob Hoff.