SDSGA & Guy E. Ham Beef Industry Scholarships
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United States Animal Identification Plan
Comments
660 Southpointe Court, Suit 314
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Sent Via the Web: www.usaip.info
January 30, 2004
Re: Request for Comments on the Ongoing Development of the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) as it Relates to the South Dakota cattle industry - from the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.
Background:
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association appreciates the opportunity to provide meaningful input regarding U.S. animal identification.
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is an organization of 1400 members, primarily cow-calf producers operating family ranches.
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is committed to representing the needs of individual cattle producers in regard to animal health, trade, marketing and environmental issues.
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association does not support the idea of a mandatory national identification system but will submit the following comments to be taken into consideration in the event that a national identification program is implemented.
Comments:
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association believes that every head of livestock that enters the United States shall bear a permanent mark of origin (ie: hot brand) identifying the country from which that animal came.
Many tracking and identification systems are already in effect, with high rates of success. These include brand inspection and animal health marking systems like brucellosis tags. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association believes that these systems shall be evaluated and incorporated in any type of national identification system. States shall manage these systems through their animal industry boards and animal health departments, working with USDA.
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association reminds the USDA that tags are always subject to removal, both by accident and purposefully. Hot brands are permanent marks that cannot be removed until the hide is removed from an animal. Hot branding is the preferred method of marking animals for identification and ownership.
No trade or lobbying association or private industry shall be allowed to facilitate a national identification system.
Any that producer that follows legal, humane and consumer-friendly practices while caring for his or her livestock shall not be held liable for the livestock after a change of ownership takes place. Liability should cease when livestock leaves the ranch of origin unless the producer has not followed humane and legal animal husbandry protocol.
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association was involved in preparing and authoring the R-CALF USA comments in regard to this topic and fully endorses the comments submitted by our national affiliate, R-CALF USA.
Sincerely,
Ken Knuppe
President