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.
Truth Farmer 