Hot Topics Relating to Livestock and Forages
National Animal Identification System (NAIS)
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the release of an implementation
plan that outlines timelines and benchmarks for the establishment of the
National Animal Identification System (NAIS), along with a plan for the initial
integration of private and state animal tracking databases with NAIS.
The implementation plan continues to set an aggressive timeline for ensuring
full implementation of the NAIS by 2009. It establishes benchmarks for
incrementally accomplishing the remaining implementation goals to enable the
NAIS to be operational by 2007, and to achieve full producer participation by
2009. Several important components have already been accomplished. These include
the development of premises registration systems in each State and the issuance
of guidelines for the manufacture and distribution of animal identification
numbers. More than 235,000 premises are currently registered.
USDA is also released the general technical standards for animal tracking
databases that will enable integration of private systems with the NAIS. Private
database owners are invited to submit applications for system evaluation to USDA
and offer feedback as the final technical requirements are established. USDA
will then enter into cooperative agreements with owners of databases that meet
the standards. The application for system evaluation and a draft cooperative
agreement are available on the NAIS web site at
www.usda.gov/nais.
By early 2007, USDA expects to have the technology in place, called the
Animal Trace Processing System or commonly known as the metadata system, that
will allow state and federal animal health officials to query the NAIS and
private databases during a disease investigation. The animal tracking databases
will record and store animal movement tracking information for livestock that
state and federal animal health officials will query for animals of interest in
a disease investigation.
Training sessions will be offered to organizations interested in distributing
animal identification number (AIN) tags as either a tag manager or tag reseller.
Two USDA-sponsored web conferences about the administration of AIN tags and a
demonstration of the AIN Management System are scheduled for Thursday, April 13
at 1 p.m., and Wednesday, April 26 at 1 p.m., Eastern Time. Details of the web
conferences are available on the NAIS web site.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is also finalizing
$3 million in funds that will be awarded to a number of States and Tribes to
conduct field trials to analyze information pertaining to animal identification.
Field trials will focus on the evaluation of new technologies for animal
identification and automated data collection. APHIS will also fund an economic
study focusing on the cost of NAIS implementation within a state; the
development of procedures to measure the performance of identification devices
and a bi-state study to develop recommendations regarding livestock exhibitions
to achieve compatibility with the NAIS.
APHIS has awarded approximately $27 million in funds to States and Tribes to
advance the national animal identification initiative. This funding has been
used primarily for premises identification and registration. APHIS is updating a
summary report detailing what has been accomplished through previously funded
field trials and pilot projects. This report will be made public upon
completion.
The NAIS implementation plan, along with more information about the program,
is available at
www.usda.gov/nais.
Back to Livestock and
Forage Hot Topics |
