What is the National Animal Identification Plan?

by John Paterson, MSU Extension Beef Specialist
(Excerpts taken from the web site: http://usaip.info/)

Protecting American animal agriculture by safeguarding animal health is vital to the well being of all U. S. citizens. It promotes human health; provides wholesome, reliable, and secure food resources; mitigates national economic threats; and enhances a sustainable environment. Essential to achieving this goal is an efficient and effective animal identification program. Building upon previously established and successful animal health and animal identification programs involving many animal industries, an industry-state-federal partnership, aided by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA), was formed in 2002 to more uniformly coordinate a national animal identification plan. This resulting plan, requested by the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) and facilitated by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), was formulated in 2003 for presentation at the October, 2003 annual meeting of the USAHA.

More than 100 animal industry and state-federal government professionals representing more than 70 allied associations/organizations collectively assessed and suggested workable improvements to the plan to meet future U. S. animal identification needs. Fundamental to controlling any disease threat, foreign or domestic, to the nation's animal resources is to have a system that can identify individual animals or groups, the premises where they are located, and the date of entry to that premises.

Further, in order to achieve optimal success in controlling or eradicating an animal health threat, the ability to retrieve that information within 48 hours of confirmation of a disease outbreak and to implement intervention strategies is necessary. The USAIP is focused on utilizing state- of-the-art national and international standards with the best available and practical technologies. It is dynamic and flexible, and will incorporate new and proven technologies as they become available. States' needs in implementing animal identification will receive priority within the uniformity provided by federal oversight.

The USAIP currently supports the following species and/or industries: bison, beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, goats, camelids (alpacas and llamas), horses, cervids (deer and elk), poultry (eight species including game birds), and aquaculture (eleven species).

Implementation will be in three phases: Phase I involves premises identification; Phase II involves individual or group/lot identification for interstate and intrastate commerce; and Phase III involves retrofitting remaining processing plants and markets and other industry segments with appropriate technology that will enhance our ability to track animals throughout the livestock marketing chain to protect and improve the health of the national herd. Initial implementation will focus on the cattle, swine, small ruminant industries.

In transition, the USAIP recommends that: all states have a premises identification system in place by July, 2004; unique, individual or group/lot numbers be available for issuance by February, 2005; all cattle, swine, and small ruminants possess individual or group/lot identification for interstate movement by July, 2005; all animals of remaining species/industries identified above be in similar compliance by July, 2006. These standards will apply all animals within the represented industries regardless their intended use as seedstock, commercial, pets or personal uses.

What is the U.S. Animal Identification Plan?
The U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) defines the standards and framework for and maintaining a phased-in national animal identification system for the United States.

Why is this program needed?
A national animal ID system is needed to help protect American animal agriculture. This national plan, which identifies all food animals and livestock, enhance disease preparedness by allowing the U.S. identify any animals exposed to disease and will facilitate stopping the spread of that disease. In addition, will provide benefits to industry in terms of access and consumer demand. The USAIP will the U.S.'s reputation for having a safe food supply will promote continued confidence in agricultural or livestock products. Having a working system allows for tracebacks to all premises that had direct contact with an animal with a foreign animal within 48 hours of discovery will reduce the and social impacts of such a disease.

Is this part of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)?
No, the USAIP is not intended to be a part Country of Origin Labeling. The plan's sole intent is to create the ability to track animal disease to its source within a 48-hour period.

What are the benefits for producers?
The adoption of a national identification system will help secure the health of the national herd. The program will provide producers and animal health officials with the infrastructure to improve efforts in current disease eradication and control, protect against foreign animal disease outbreaks and provide infrastructure to address threats from deliberate introduction of disease. The industry may integrate the standards and technologies defined in the USAIP with their management systems and performance recording programs. The utilization of the same ID technologies for both regulatory and industry programs allows for the development of a more cost effective and user-friendly system for the producer. Producers can also benefit from additional animal identification information obtained to improve production efficiencies and add value to their products. However, the information systems are completely separate; production data will not be transmitted to nor maintained in the national identification databases.

How much will the program cost?
The plan for the program is currently being developed. Initial start-up costs will be different than the costs of a fully operational system in all 50 states.

Who will pay for the plan?
It is anticipated that the federal government and all industry stakeholders will share in the costs of an identification system.

If I am currently using an ID program through a private service or marketing alliance, will my ID be usable in the USAIP?
Yes, assuming the program you are using will be compliant with the official USAIP standards.

Should I, or my State Cattle Association, consider aligning with a database management provider so I can comply with the USAIP?
The Steering Committee would characterize such action as premature. There is definitely no urgency as no immediate implementation requirements have been established. The Steering Committee, and in the future, the USAIP Oversight Board, will clearly communicate dates that will call for action or producer-participation. The program will be phased in over time, and an adequate transition period will be established for producers to work into the system. The USDA is taking necessary steps to have the standards established as official; the U.S. Animal Identification Number is an example. The standards established in the USAIP are to be recognized as so industry initiatives that are developing programs containing an ID component may start to incorporate them if they wish. Additionally, this will allow the standards to be used in various pilot projects that are being formulated. Also, note that the timetables outlined in the USAIP are target dates, which will be updated through consensus of the Species Working Groups.

Who will be responsible for ID application?
During the phase in period, livestock animals will need to be identified as they leave whatever they are on regardless of where they were born. the first few years of the program, identifying will be the responsibility of the "premises of birth" producers. For producers who lack equipment for individual ID, tagging stations will be available.

What data will be required to be kept, by whom and in what form?
This part of the plan is under development. It anticipated that the final plan will be user-friendly such that it will be easy for all stakeholders to implement and make part of their daily practice. Ideally animal movements will be electronically tracked and sent from the stakeholders to the central database. For the plan to be successful, this key part, i.e. entry, will need to be easy to follow, thus achievable in real-time such that data entry becomes a routine management practice. Only essential information will be reported to the central database. In the case of individual animals, this is: 1) an US AIN (US Animal Identification Number), 2) the premises ID that the US AIN was seen allocated to, and 3) the date it was seen or allocated Additional information that can be important in a disease trace-back such as species, breed, sex, age or date of birth can also be reported if available. the case of group or lot movements, the key data the groups' Lot ID number, the premises ID the Lot ID number was seen at, and the date it was seen. species is available, this can also be provided to the central database. The goal is to work with existing information systems so additional recording of information by producers and auction markets is minimized.

Who will have access to information in the National Animal ID Databases?
Only state and federal health officials will have access to the premises and animal ID information performing their duties to maintain the health of the national herd. Proper safeguards are being researched and will be put in place to ensure that the data is protected from public disclosure.

Will this be a mandatory program?
Efforts are geared toward developing a national animal ID program that will provide for the ability to rapidly track animals exposed to a disease concern, and will meet the needs of producers, animal industries, domestic and international markets and consumers. The plan still must be completed and the system must be tested to be sure it is effective and workable. Incremental implementation of the plan as development continues will allow for potential problems within the system to be identified and the plan modified to address those problems. Ultimately there needs to be full compliance for the system to work as effectively as it should. Once the USAIP is finalized, considered workable and accepted by industry, it is likely that industry and market forces will drive the process towards full compliance. Then, USDA will work with industry and state partners to achieve full participation with the USAIP.

Will I be able to sell my livestock if they are not officially identified?
Yes. The plan will begin as a voluntary program. Over time some markets may require animals to be identified that are not identified now. Species where ID is currently required will continue to have to be identified prior to entering commerce, i.e. sheep and goats under the national Scrapie eradication program. As the program is phased in, all animals of covered species will be encouraged to have premises identification, and eventually individual identification, prior to sale. For producers who lack facilities to apply ID devices at the premises of birth, there will be provisions for initiating the process at the point of sale.

Can animals be identified as a group?
Yes. An animal production system can use Group/ Lot identification if the producer can demonstrate to the satisfaction of state animal health officials that, through group identification and production records, traceback to all premises with direct contacts of a suspect animal can occur in 48 hours. Each group will be identified with a unique and standardized number. Verifiable records will be required to further document premises ID and dates of movement.

What is the timeline for implementation?
Several steps need to be completed before the USAIP could be fully implemented, however the USAIP recommends that: All states have a premises identification system initiated by July, 2004; Unique, individual or group/lot numbers be available for issuance by the middle of 2004; All cattle, swine, and small ruminants possess individual or group/lot identification for interstate movement by July 2005; All animals of the remaining species/industries identified above be in similar compliance by July These standards will apply to all animals in commerce within the represented industries regardless their intended use as seedstock, commercial, pets other personal uses.

Who has developed this plan?
The National Animal Identification Development Team, a group of approximately 100 animal livestock industry professionals representing over 70 associations, organizations, and government agencies. Development has been a voluntary effort by participants working collaboratively to establish an effective national animal identification plan. What will be the ID requirements for animals entering the U.S. from other countries? Animals entering the country will be subject to same identification requirements as animals in U.S. that move interstate and/or through commerce Currently, various species working groups are species-specific identification requirements.

Where can I get more information?
Go to http://usaip.info/ for details on the development of the plan and specific information directed at segments of the livestock industry involved in the identification effort

Beef: Questions & Answers is a joint project between MSU Extension and the Montana Beef Council. This column informs producers about current consumer education, promotion and research projects funded through the $1 per head checkoff. For more information, contact the Montana Beef Council at (406) 442-5111 or at beefcncl@mt.net

 

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 08/29/2006