I tried to tell everyone….NAIS Never Went Away-it simply had a name change

13 Jul 2017 2 Comments

by truthfarmer in Agenda 21, Consolidation, Conspiracy, Control, Enforcement, NAIS, NAIS/ADT, USDA, WTO Tags: , , ,

The NIAA and the infamous Neil Hammerschmidt are at it again. Having an expensive meeting to figure out how to subject livestock growers to “enforcement” measures for RFID tagging of livestock. They are after the cattle, as they always have been.

Maybe they should remember the nooses on the livestock trailer with their agency name on them the last time they tried this in Colorado. If you are interested, here is the release from the fascist group, NIAA:

Exceptional Agenda Set for Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) announces an impressive agenda for the upcoming day and a half Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability which they will co–host with the US Animal Health Association (USAHA) in Denver, CO in September.

The Strategy Forum will kick off with an introduction from Dr. Tony Forshey, Board Chair, National Institute for Animal Agriculture and Dr. Boyd Parr, United States Animal Health Association.

Mr. Matt Deppe, Executive Director, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (Invited) is scheduled to moderate the Strategy Forum as first day continues with updates on the USDA Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program and feedback on public meetings from USDA APHIS Veterinary Services Cattle Health Staff/Animal Disease Traceability Veterinarian Dr. Sunny Geiser–Novotny and Dr. Aaron Scott.

Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Animal Disease Traceability, Program Manager, will discuss “ADT Next Step Considerations.” After a networking lunch, a panel discussion with State Veterinarians from around the US, will examine “Enforcement Rules –Successes and Opportunities.” Dr. Nevil Speer and Dr. Justin Smith will moderate more panel discussions on “Implications for Livestock Markets ” and “Making Standards and Technology Work.”

Mr. Paul Laronde, Tag & Technology Manager, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency , will open the second day of the Strategy Forum with a review of the Canadian Traceability Forum. Mr. Randy Munger, Mobile Information & Animal Disease Traceability Veterinarian, USDA / APHIS / STAS will speak about “Using RFID to Advance Traceability.”

The final panel discussion will consider “Implications for Livestock Used for Rodeo, Fairs & Exhibitions.”

The Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability will be held September 26 –27, 2017 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Denver–Stapleton North, Denver, Colorado. View the entire AGENDA HERE. Register HERE.

NAIS Is NOT Dead. Never was.

06 Jul 2017 3 Comments

by truthfarmer in Control, NAIS, NAIS/ADT Tags: , , ,

From my good friend Darol Dickinson:

NAIS – ADT enforcements still stink. Dr. Michael W. Radebaugh, state veterinarian for Maryland has been and continues to be a strong promoter of NAIS and ADT. Although there is less large animal disease in the USA than any time in history, certain paranoid state vets continue to increase ADT and costly enforcements onto livestock producers. The new Maryland enforcements stated below are a continuation of the NAIS plan of 10 years ago where the USDA paid special grants to states and tribes to enforce fees and laws that would increase government jobs and encumber livestock commerce, shows and reduce general profitability to producers. It is still not about animal disease.The ADT and NAIS enforcements were soundly rejected by livestock producers under the reign of Ag Sec Thomas James Vilsack (2008 – 2017) to the extent, he announced all such efforts on a national level would be permanently discontinued. The listening sessions and comment periods revealed that over 90% of livestock producers opposed this intrusion of property and unnecessary production costs. DD

There is a new requirement for RFID tags for all cattle at all Maryland shows
Annapolis, MD- The Maryland Department of Agriculture, Animal Health Program has issued a policy that all cattle and swine shown at Maryland exhibitions must have an official USDA approved Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ear tag for 2017 and beyond.
Who needs RFID tags for 2017? All exhibitors of cattle and swine in Maryland including both open class and 4H exhibitors.
How do I get official RFID Tags? After obtaining a Premise Identification Number (PIN), a list of available official USDA approved RFID tags manufacturers can be obtained from this USDA website:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/ADT_device_ain.pdf
How do I get a premise identification number (PIN)? You may request a Premises Identification Number (PIN) with our Premises Registration Form. Your premises identification number will arrive on a card in the mail 7-10 days after we receive the Premises Registration Form. Call 410-841-5810 with any questions.
How do exhibitors get official RFID ear tags? Two ways: 1. Veterinarians can tag animals when they perform the required health inspection prior to exhibition. 2. Exhibitors wishing to obtain their own premises tags may do so by obtaining a Premises Identification Number (PIN) and then purchasing RFID tags from an approved USDA distributer.
Can producers give out their own tags to other producers? No… Because of animal disease traceability purposes, any official USDA RFID ear tags assigned to a specific PIN cannot be given to other producers. Producers are responsible to insert in their cattle and swine only the RFID ear tags designated for their PIN alone and no other.
Who should tag exhibition livestock? It is best that livestock be tagged at the farm of origin. Having an official RFID tag in place before exhibition is the exhibitor’s responsibility. A veterinarian may apply official tags to cattle and swine while performing a health inspection or the exhibitor may purchase official RFID tags and apply them. Be sure to keep records of tags applied.
What if an animal already has an official tag but not a RFID official tag? It is unlawful to remove an official identification tag. If an animal does not have an RFID ear tag, the animal can be “double” tagged with a RFID ear tag. This is an allowable upgrade.
What if tags fall out or get lost? If it becomes necessary to retag an animal with a new official RFID ear tag (assigned to that premise), every effort should be made to correlate the new official RFID number with the previous official number. A record of this change should be kept on file by the exhibitor. Also, the official RFID ear tag number must correlate to the official identification listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) as recorded by a veterinarian.
Will animals without RFID tags be rejected? The 2017 Maryland Fairs and Shows Policy require RFID ear tags for cattle and swine at Maryland exhibitions. 2017 will be a transitional year. Leniency may be afforded at the discretion of each of the exhibition. It is strongly recommended to avoid any inconvenience by having proper ID and paperwork. No exceptions will be made beyond the 2017 season.
From the UMD Extension service.

NAIS Operates Under Aliases

16 Feb 2014 1 Comment

by truthfarmer in Agenda 21, Consolidation, Control, NAIS/ADT Tags: , ,

Former state vet touts traceability system
http://www.capitalpress.com/article/20140210/ARTICLE/140219993/

Retired Washington State Department of Agriculture Veterinarian Leonard Eldridge says some gaps in credible, accurate information still need to be filled to develop animal traceability. The department is building its new Animal Tracks searchable database. Eldridge stressed the need for the system to be electronic, which would be easily and quickly searchable. SPOKANE — The Washington Department of Agriculture is developing an animal traceability system to easily search cattle records in the event of a disease outbreak.

Retired state veterinarian Leonard Eldridge stressed the need to fill information gaps during the Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum.

He sees high risks in feeder and slaughter cattle practices outside the state and cattle trading from one producer to another without notifying the department or third-party verification.

Eldridge said the state realized it needed a better traceability system after bovine spongiform encephalitis was discovered in a cow in December 2003. That cow was found to have been exposed in Canada, he said, but his department could not find all cows that ate the same feed there.

“There are exemptions for female dairy cattle to be traded in the state without telling the Department of Agriculture, and I think that was a big issue,” Eldridge said. “It’s still a gap today we need to fix. We need to go to the whole industry and say, ‘Tell us how to do this.’”

WSDA animal disease traceability program manager David Hecimovich said Washington agriculture director Bud Hover is removing the exemption. The department will announce the rule change in February or March, which could be official by mid-summer, Hecimovich said.

The department has established three animal health investigators.

Eldridge estimates establishing the state’s new “Animal Tracks” program costs $440,000 each year for two years. State legislators approved $881,000 for the department to begin building the system last year.

The traceability system would include information on documents showing animal movement, change of ownership, brand information and disease and test records.

“You could search for any one of these pieces and the rest of the information comes up,” Eldridge said. “That’s what we said we needed.”

The department provides monthly updates on the status of implementing the system.

The future cost of maintaining the program is uncertain. Eldridge stressed the need for communication with the entire industry about the best methods to protect the industry and keep costs low. Committee feedback called for a stable source of funding each year, with costs shared by taxpayers and all aspects of the industry, he said.

Eldridge believes the system needs to be electronic. Paper records are time-consuming and difficult to search through quickly, he said. One-time data entry is faster, eliminates a lot of work and reduce the possibility of error.

State departments are likely to lead the development of electronic databases, Eldridge said, and USDA will likely eventually follow suit.

Online
http://agr.wa.gov/foodanimal/animalid/adtproject.aspx