05/31/06 Animal ID, Australian style part two

AgriBeef's Rick Stott has been deeply involved in animal identification movement through the Northwest Pilot Project and now with the US Animal Identification Organization. Just back from Australia were he spent time examining that country's animal i-d system Stott says two things impressed him. One was education for Australian cattle producers. STOTT "One state that they spend between five and ten dollars a year per producer in communicating the message and the system to their producers. The second thing that they said is that the packers have a very important role in this and that they need to get engaged sooner rather than later and that the packers sat back. They were supportive but they didn't get out in front and really get supportive of it in a vocal way." The Australians are doing what Stott advocates, that is, using an ID system that is producer driven and controlled. STOTT "That is exactly the forum that they used to make that whole system over there rather successful and being adopted in a very efficient and effective way. The Australians have had some problems implementing animal ID but they're stepping it up and are now using it as an Asian marketing tool mostly at the US expense. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott