FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 16, 2005

For more information contact Carrie Longwood at:

605-342-0429 or carrie.sdsga@midconetwork.com

www.southdakotastockgrowers.org

Stockgrowers Say ID and Premise Numbers are Voluntary

The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association reminds producers that they are not required, either by state or federal rule, to obtain a premise allocation or to identify their livestock any differently than they have in the past.

“With all of the media attention to the subject lately, folks might be thinking that animal identification and official premise numbers are mandatory, when in fact, they are not,” says South Dakota Stockgrowers Association Animal ID Committee Chairman Kenny Fox , Belvidere , S.D.

“The legislature enacted policy this year that allows the state Animal Industry Board and state veterinarian to promulgate rules regarding an animal identification program,” said Fox. “The law does permit the Animal Industry Board to write rules defining a program as being mandatory or voluntary. It’s possible that the board is considering such a program but has not enacted one yet.”

Fox encourages producers who have concerns with the concept of a mandatory state or national identification program to contact the state animal industry board, as well as the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association. “We don’t support a mandatory id program, on the state or national level, but there is a major movement within the ranks of government to make this happen. Producers need to stay educated on the issue, and more importantly, keep our elected officials educated, to prevent a train wreck of expensive id requirements, with little or no benefit.”

Fox says that South Dakota and some other states are allowing voluntary sign-up into these programs, but cannot require any producers to do so. “Under these voluntary programs, producers are required to do nothing more than they have always done. They do not have to buy any new tags or release any additional information to government agencies.”

Fox encourages producers not to feel obligated to purchase electronic tags or sign up for a premise number. “Don’t be afraid that you will be ‘left in the dust’ if you don’t jump on the bandwagon,” says Fox. “Several types of identification have worked well for decades, including branding and tattooing. Until I’m convinced that newer methods, like electronic tags, are more effective, I don’t plan to change my management strategy for identifying my cattle. If a producer wants to experiment with radio frequency identification, he should certainly do so, he might find some benefits. But South Dakota ranchers certainly are not required to do anything different than they are doing right now, if they don’t wish to.”

If ranchers have questions, Fox urges them to call the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association office at 605-342-0429.

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