| Ranchers rally against animal ID |
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.Several years ago the United States Department of Agriculture began a voluntary animal ID system, a way for ranchers to let the federal government know the whereabouts of their livestock at all times.The USDA says animal ID is a quick and effective way to trace an animal disease to its source.But because of the low turnout for the voluntary system the USDA is looking into a mandatory animal ID system, one that has ranchers across the country up in arms.Black Hills FOX reporter Lindsay Kruger has the story.Over 350 cattle ranchers from across South Dakota and surrounding states - uniting Thursday in opposition against the USDA's latest move to regulate livestock. The National Animal Identification System, or NAIS, isn't a new concept for South Dakotans.Just this past legislative session House Bill 1224 was introduced, stipulating that any animal ID system in the state should remain voluntary. But after heavy lobbying on both sides, the bill failed in the house. A resolution was passed, but it's just a statement not a law, leaving the doors wide open for the USDA to make their move.Rick Fox says, "We have to ear tag all of our cattle, be compliant with USDA with the government. It allows the government to come on our property and inspect and we gotta' track all of our cattle, our movements."The USDA is proposing ranchers use a special tag on all livestock including dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, horses, even chickens. The tag's pin number would allow the government to track the animal from birth, gather information about them and the farms where they live.Dr. Dave Morris says, "We need to do more than trace the individual animals in question. Our challenge is also to identify exposed animals that may be identified so we can reduce the content or spread of the disease."Morris says, "Our data would suggest that there is a need to do a better job to have more animals efficiently identified so that we can access that information and more importantly provide that information to producers when there may be a risk at hand."But ranchers say the problem isn't with cattle or livestock on U.S. soil. They say the problem lies along the U.S. border with Mexico and Canada. And they're calling the USDA's proposal a control issue.Fox says, "I don't need government as a partner in my business, like with the insurance companies and General Motors. We don't want to go down that road as cattle producers."Neither USDA representatives nor ranchers could say today how much money the NAIS would cost, who would pay for it or even how it would be implemented.In Rapid City, Lindsay Kruger, Black Hills FOX News.Thursday's meeting in Rapid City is part of a series of sessions held throughout the country in order for the Ag Department to get input from cattle producers.Lindsay Kruger |
