11/28/06 USDA says animal ID to remain voluntary

American Rancher November 28, 2006 There is lots of talk that USDA's planned voluntary National Animal Identification System will someday become a mandatory program. But Bruce Knight, the USDA undersecretary responsible for the program says that's all that is&.talk&and it's also a reason rancher acceptance of the program has been tentative. And Knight says; Knight: "I have no intention or desire to take it mandatory. This is not a program that is voluntary and if it is not successful it is going to become mandatory. We are going to make this successful as a voluntary program." Knight says the first step in the program, which is getting ranchers to register their premises, is not going as fast as officials would like, but Knight says premise registration does not commit you to anything else. Knight: "There will be a separate and distinct decision for a producer on whether or not they start participating as far as putting ear tags in the cattle or moving the lot numbers on hogs or sheep." Knight also beliefs producers need not worry about confidentiality because the data will be held by private entities and accessed only by the government in emergencies. A new 65 page comprehensive document about the animal ID system has been put on USDA's animal ID website. Knight says this document is geared especially towards producers. I'm Bob Hoff.