How would nat'l animal i.d. system benefit producers, consumers?

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Dr. Ernest Davis

February 5, 2004 -- The fear faced by many Americans due to the recent cases of "mad cow disease" in the United States has lead the beef industry to try and find new ways to make their product even safer. An animal identification plan is currently in the works to help with this effort, which will be used to help track diseases in beef herds.

On Jan. 21, Dr. Ernest Davis, Extension economist, discussed the possibility of starting an animal identification program in the United States, including the benefits of having such a program, during the Blackland Income Growth (B.I.G.) Conference, which took place in Waco during the annual Mid-Tex Farm and Ranch Show.

"Mandatory animal identification is very important for various reasons," he explained. "We know that bio-security and disease has forced this issue and brought it to light. A benefit of an identification program is that it will help with both disease eradication and disease control."

The program will stop the spread of the foreign animal disease outbreak, as well as helping to limit the impact, Davis added. It will also help identify the source so that the infected animal or animals will be contained and disposed.

"An identification program is important because it will help us regain consumers confidence of our product. Consumers must always be confident in their food supply," he said.

"What this program will not do," Davis stated, "is prevent disease from happening. It doesn't make the food safe, it doesn't prevent foreign disease, and it doesn't guarantee market access.

"What it will do is help stop the disease by containing the problem area. That is where the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) comes into place."

The goal of the USAIP is to develop the elements required to have a national identification plan, Davis said. "This will be a cooperative effort of both the industry and the government."

USAIP is organized by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture by the request of the U.S. Animal Health Association. The basic premise of the USAIP is to control the disease threat to animal agriculture. It must be a system that is able to identify both the individual animals as well as group of animals. "The USAIP will be set up to have a national address system for all animals in a given area. By having this information, you will have the ability to retrieve information in about 48 hours."

The USAIP is an animal tracking system, he stated, and not a traceback system. "Traceback implies information from farm-to-plate and this system does not do that. It is designed primarily for disease tracking."

He said a system like this is coming and whatever system used must be compatible, transparent, and transferable.

"This is going to be a costly program. What we don't know right now is who is going to fund it," Davis ended.

For more information on the USAIP system, visit www.usaip.info.