10/25/06 Premise registration incentive rejected

Washington Ag October 25, 2006 Both the Washington Cattlemen's Association and the Cattle Producers of Washington have decided against accepting an offer from the Washington State Department of Agriculture that would pay livestock organizations ten-dollars for each premise they register by the end of the year. Premise registration is the first step in creating an animal identification system and of the estimated 12-thousand cattle premises in Washington only about eight percent have been registered. A federal grant would fund the incentive payment. Jack Field, executive vice president of the WCA says there was considerable discussion about the offer at the group's recent board meeting. Field: "And they felt that the $10 somewhat cheapened the program feeling that no one is registering a premise number now that they can get ten dollars. The people that are doing it are registering the premise number because of their commitment to trying to work jointly with the department and with the state to enhance animal health." Field says the WCA has been and will continue to help producers who have questions about premise registration. Lee Engelhardt, president of CPoW says WSDA is not listening and seems intent to forge ahead with a program that is widely opposed by producers. I'm Bob Hoff.