American Rancher November 6, 2006 If the Democrats win control of the U.S. House or Senate this election one agricultural policy that would be impacted is animal ID. The ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee Collin Peterson backs a mandatory National Animal Identification System. He says its need to fully open the Japanese market.
Peterson: "In my opinion the Japanese will never open up things until we have mandatory system that everybody is in."
Current House Ag Committee chairman, Republican Bob Goodlatte, says if he remains the chairman animal ID will remain voluntary.
Goodlatte: "I favor a voluntary system. I don't want to have the bureaucracy in Washington D.C. dictating to farmers the precise technology they need to use. What if they get it wrong?"
Peterson says USDA has spent a hundred million dollars on animal ID so far with nothing to show for it.
Meanwhile USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight, met with state veterinarians and state animal ID coordinators last week about a new outreach program to encourage livestock producers to voluntarily participate in the national ID system. Knight says he's convinced USDA can have an effective, voluntary animal ID system in place by 2010 even if there isn't 100 percent participation by then.
I'm Bob Hoff.