CarolU
11-29-2006, 05:23 PM
I got this article this morning...
USDA effectively and quietly knocked the National Animal Identification
System (NAIS) in the head last Wednesday. It did so with the
unheralded
publication of the "NAIS User Guide," which replaces all former NAIS
draft documents. This document, for the first time, emphasizes NAIS as
a
voluntary program rather than as a steppingstone to a mandatory one.
In fact, at the very beginning, the guide explains, "USDA is not
requiring participation in the program. NAIS can help producers protect
the health and marketability of their animals -- but the choice to
participate is theirs."
Late last month at a community outreach event in Kansas City, Chuck
Conner, USDA Deputy Secretary, and Bruce Knight, USDA Under Secretary
for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, paved the way for the agency's
back-pedaling.
"Since we've had some confusion on this, we need to be as clear as we
can be. This is 'voluntary' with a capital V. Not a currently
voluntary, then maybe a mandatory system. This is a permanently
voluntary system at the federal level," Conner said.
"We're making it crystal clear that NAIS is voluntary -- no ifs, ands
or
buts," explained Knight. "Farmers can choose to register their
premises. They can choose to participate in individual animal or group
identification. And they can opt to be part of tracking. Or not."
The guide goes on to explain, "Participation in NAIS is voluntary at
the
federal level. Under our current authorities, USDA could make the NAIS
mandatory, but we are choosing not to do so -- again, participation in
every component of NAIS is voluntary at the federal level. The NAIS
does not need to be mandatory to be effective; we believe the goals of
the system can be achieved with a voluntary program. As producers
become increasingly aware of the benefits of the NAIS and the level of
voluntary participation grows, there will only be less need to make
the
program mandatory."
Absent from the "NAIS User Guide" are the suggested timelines and
benchmarks for achieving an effective level of producer participation.
Instead, USDA emphasizes its belief that market demands will provide
the
necessary incentive for participation. That's possible, though it
hasn't
been the case, thus far. It's hard to imagine, too, the need commerce
will see for a system cohesive and coordinated enough to provide the
industry-wide, 48-hour trace-back NAIS was designed to provide.
Consequently, the only real incentive for animal ID remains to be the
value individual producers see in it for management purposes.
USDA effectively and quietly knocked the National Animal Identification
System (NAIS) in the head last Wednesday. It did so with the
unheralded
publication of the "NAIS User Guide," which replaces all former NAIS
draft documents. This document, for the first time, emphasizes NAIS as
a
voluntary program rather than as a steppingstone to a mandatory one.
In fact, at the very beginning, the guide explains, "USDA is not
requiring participation in the program. NAIS can help producers protect
the health and marketability of their animals -- but the choice to
participate is theirs."
Late last month at a community outreach event in Kansas City, Chuck
Conner, USDA Deputy Secretary, and Bruce Knight, USDA Under Secretary
for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, paved the way for the agency's
back-pedaling.
"Since we've had some confusion on this, we need to be as clear as we
can be. This is 'voluntary' with a capital V. Not a currently
voluntary, then maybe a mandatory system. This is a permanently
voluntary system at the federal level," Conner said.
"We're making it crystal clear that NAIS is voluntary -- no ifs, ands
or
buts," explained Knight. "Farmers can choose to register their
premises. They can choose to participate in individual animal or group
identification. And they can opt to be part of tracking. Or not."
The guide goes on to explain, "Participation in NAIS is voluntary at
the
federal level. Under our current authorities, USDA could make the NAIS
mandatory, but we are choosing not to do so -- again, participation in
every component of NAIS is voluntary at the federal level. The NAIS
does not need to be mandatory to be effective; we believe the goals of
the system can be achieved with a voluntary program. As producers
become increasingly aware of the benefits of the NAIS and the level of
voluntary participation grows, there will only be less need to make
the
program mandatory."
Absent from the "NAIS User Guide" are the suggested timelines and
benchmarks for achieving an effective level of producer participation.
Instead, USDA emphasizes its belief that market demands will provide
the
necessary incentive for participation. That's possible, though it
hasn't
been the case, thus far. It's hard to imagine, too, the need commerce
will see for a system cohesive and coordinated enough to provide the
industry-wide, 48-hour trace-back NAIS was designed to provide.
Consequently, the only real incentive for animal ID remains to be the
value individual producers see in it for management purposes.