and once again...The USDA Proposes Livestock Tracking System

[wilds of pa]

Here we go again...

DES MOINES, Iowa — New rules for tracing diseased livestock will lead to greater compliance and improve the country’s ability to market its livestock products overseas, U.S Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Tue.

The program would cost about $14.5 million a year

read more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...ed-livestock/2011/08/09/gIQAnfmy4I_story.html

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

We must fight this! It would interfer with both exhibition and backyard flocks.

Every BYC member needs to contact their Congressman ans Senator and express their feelings on this matter.

This is nothing more than the Premise Identification Program under a new name. The USDA has no reason to know how many animals we have. This invades our privacy and violates our Constitutional rights to freedom from unusual search and ceasure.

USDA Proposes Livestock Tracking System

http://cowboybyte.com/241/usda-proposes-livestock-tracking-system/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a new, mandatory system Tuesday for tracking cattle, poultry and other farm animals to pinpoint the origin of diseases that can spread through herds and halt exports.

Ranchers and farmers under the rules would be required to affix a unique identification number to animals transferred between states or tribal areas. The tracking system would allow federal officials to more quickly find the source of an outbreak and isolate the diseased animals, reducing the economic and public-health impacts, the USDA said.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a conference call said the tracking system would help reassure foreign meat buyers, some of whom have been critical of the U.S. system for disease control. The lack of a more rigorous system became an issue in December 2003 when the first U.S. case of mad-cow disease was discovered​

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:

Could you please go into some detail as to how transfers between states or tribal areas would affect most backyard flocks. And are you aware of what the proposed exceptions are? I don't know the details of this specific proposal, but I find that most of these do not affect most of us due to the exceptions. They are generally aimed at the big commercial operations, although sometimes it takes an amendment to the original proposed legislation to get that exception. For instance, would the hatcheries we buy from be affected?

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Example:

Hincjc/wilds of Pa sells Ridgerunner eggs/chicks. hincjc must report to usda the sale and complete a special USDA form. Ridgrunner takes said raised birds to swap meet in Missouri. Another USDA form completed.

This will effect all poultry shows, chicken swaps, auctions, hatcheries. Anyone who buys, sells or trades any poultry would be affected. The USDA reasoning is we must comply with foreign countries demands. This is the USA, not China or Europe. One more beuracratic attempt at control. The cost of this policy would double the size of the USDA.​

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

What specific information do we need about the legislation to know how it will affect us?

What kind of paperwork and/or regulations will be involved when we try to get new animals from out of state to improve our herds/flocks?

What paperwork and/or regulations will be required to sell/swap animals?

Will our small flocks and herds need expensive inspections to be in compliance? What happens if we are not in compliance?

Will our shows/exhibitions (4-H, Ag Society, Club/Fancier Shows) require extra paperwork and veterinary inspections?

What do other countries like Great Britain with strong hobby/exhibition livestock populations exempt from their transportation control laws?

Will the Amish/Menonites be required to register their premises, which is against their religious principles? What paperwork/regulations would apply if I haul animals to an Amish/Menonite family to be butchered?

What other specific questions do we need to ask to get representatives thinking about this portion of the livestock community?

My friends and neighbors are farmers. We are already keenly concerned that anything we do with our hobby may affect their livelihood. We isolate/quarantine new birds and do not allow farmer's visits to include our animal pens. I know regulations are to control those who do NOT care, but we have found they do not stop those who have diseased animals they want to be rid of. Such people simply create fake documentation on their computers and send the animals on their way, then disappear.

 

[corancher]

Quote:
Yes, here we go again. The government sure has $14.5 million dollar to throw on another useless program. Of course, they will try to find a way to stick the cost on the small producer and give a loophole to the big corporate farms again.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
That would be across state lines, but once again, does this apply to the small guys? And besides, I don't go to chicken swaps and I don't show chickens. That part would not affect me.

This will effect all poultry shows, chicken swaps, auctions, hatcheries. Anyone who buys, sells or trades any poultry would be affected.

Jim, hopefully from our other posts and pm's you know that I do respect you and your knowledge. But until you can provide actual details of what is included and what is not included, you are blowing as much hot air as those politicians we all love.

The USDA reasoning is we must comply with foreign countries demands. This is the USA, not China or Europe. One more beuracratic attempt at control.

The attempt is to make it easier for our farmers to sell their production overseas. Whether this is a good or bad attempt and what the fallout for the rest of us would be, I really don't know because I have not seen any DETAILS.

The cost of this policy would double the size of the USDA.

Not that I believe all estimates and projections, but I’ll use what numbers are available. Somehow I don’t see an estimated $14.5 million a year as doubling $145 billion. Maybe you can explain how I am looking at it wrong.
The program would cost about $14.5 million a year

http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY12budsum.pdf

2012 Funding Overview
USDA’s budget authority totals approximately $145 billion in 2012. The 2012 discretionary level is $24 billion, a decrease of about $2 billion below the 2011 estimate.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
This will effect all poultry shows, chicken swaps, auctions, hatcheries. Anyone who buys, sells or trades any poultry would be affected. The USDA reasoning is we must comply with foreign countries demands. This is the USA, not China or Europe. One more beuracratic attempt at control. The cost of this policy would double the size of the USDA.

With all due respect, the proposal will not double the size of the USDA and this is one small example of how someone will state something as fact and the rumors will run rampant.

Proposed budget for the USDA is found here: http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY12budsum.pdf
for those of you too busy to read to document, the proposed FY 2012 budget for the USDA is 145 Billion dollars, of which $24 Billion is for Discretionary spending, presumably the $14.5 Million will come out of that fraction (this is a reduction of $7 Billion from FY 2011 as the government is tightening its belt).

This is not rocket science and no different than getting a health cerrtificate to transport horses across state lines. Poultry would be treated as a group, and is pretty similar to the NPIP system so anyone already shipping their birds such as hatcheries really wont be affected. The states/tribes are directed to come up with their own plans for the identification as the Feds prefer to have local control and input. It specifically states that the reason for the rules are really directed towards cattle shipments. I, for one, like knowing that my food I buy is safe and I won't get Mad Cow disease from eating a hamburger.

If anyone is interested in reading the real deal instead of getting their information second-hand here is a link to the proposal (there is a public comment period until November,2011 so I suggest you make your comments by then. In my opinion, complaining to your local representative will not be as effective in getting the specific exemptions you are wanting) :
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2009-0091-0001

Looks like Ridgerunner beat me to it--fast typing!!

 

[halo]

I skimmed thru the regs, and Im not seeing it as any big deal to backyard poultry keepers. The aim of this seems to be tracking beef and bison to slaughter, and meat poultry.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A few excerpts from the proposal for those that won't bother to read them. You really need to read the whole thing so you can determine if I am taking them out of context.

Therefore, our proposed regulations would contain new requirements for cattle. Because we have very limited program regulations for horses and other equines, our proposed regulations would also contain new requirements for equines. On the other hand, the traceability-related requirements in our existing program regulations for swine, sheep and goats, captive cervids, and commercial poultry are more comprehensive and, we believe, largely sufficient at this time. While we are proposing to cover those animals in this proposal, we have chosen, in most cases, to refer the reader to the identification and documentation requirements in those existing program regulations. Our proposal, however, would establish traceability requirements for poultry moved interstate to live bird markets.

I would like to know what is considered a live bird market. Somehow, I think a chicken swap is not the target of this.


For example, disease investigations for bovine tuberculosis frequently now exceed 150 days as USDA and State investigative teams spend substantially more time and money in conducting tracebacks.

We have clear indications that higher levels of official identification enhance tracing capability. For example, through the National Scrapie Eradication Program (NSEP), 92 percent of the cull breeding sheep are officially identified at slaughter, primarily using flock identification eartags. This level of official identification made it possible in fiscal year 2010 to achieve traceback from slaughter of scrapie-positive sheep to the flock of origin or birth as part of the scrapie surveillance program 96 percent of the time, typically in a matter of minutes.

Could this possibly be an attempt to improve efficiency of a government agency? Do you think there might be a benefit to American farmers if a problem stopping exports could be identified in minutes instead of months?

Thanks to Dretd for posting the link to the details.