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NAIS Suffers a Setback

by: Jill Richardson

Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:20:59 PM PDT


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The USDA's highly unpopular National Animal ID Program suffered a setback recently, according to Meatingplace:

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has proposed cutting new funding for the National Animal Identification System from the 2010 spending bill, saying the federal government has spent too much money on a program that has yet to be implemented effectively.

As chair of the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, DeLauro controls the purse strings of the USDA. She has been (and still is) a proponent of a mandatory national ID system, something that small farmers and ranchers insist will put them out of business - all but removing consumers' choice for meat, eggs, and dairy that aren't factory farmed. However, she feels that the USDA has been wasting the money they been given over the years to implement the program ($142 million since 2004), and she's sick of throwing money away on it.

Right now the USDA is conducting listening sessions around the country (in which the vast majority of feedback they've gotten about the program is very negative), and DeLauro stated on her website:

"Until USDA finishes its listening sessions and provides details as to how it will implement an effective ID system, continued investments into the current NAIS are unwarranted."

(h/t Naomi Starkman)

Jill Richardson :: NAIS Suffers a Setback
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Alright... (4.00 / 3)
That can work, that can work.

I'll take a 'backdoor' victory, whether it's just temporary or not.

I'll do Rep. DeLauro one better -

Until USDA finishes its listening sessions and provides details as to how it will implement an effective ID system [C]ontinued investments into the current NAIS are unwarranted.

:)


Thanks Jay (two thumbs up) (4.00 / 4)
One of the things people have to beware of is the claim that if we just have the NAIS, and we can 'locate in 48', that foreign markets for US produced meats and animals will either stay open or will open earlier than they would without it during a disease outbreak.

As is seen in previous outbreaks in the commercial poultry and swine industries, those markets stay closed for as long as OIE recomends to make sure that livestock and meats from those areas/producers are no longer infected with what ever it was that caused the closures.

The thing you have to remember about that, the most important point that everyone keeps forgeting, or perhaps never thought of, is that those producers/companies already have 100% tracability, and they're the ones effected by a closure.

So the question you might ask is this - If they have 100% tracability and the markets are still closed to them, what will NAIS deliver that they already haven't?

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....


[ Parent ]
Any opinions? (4.00 / 3)
Is this Rep. DeLauro's attempt to pressure Sec. Vilsack into a mandatory NAIS? Or is this a first step towards scrapping NAIS?

Either, or both (4.00 / 2)
She's for mandatory NAIS but against wasting money if they can't use it properly. She's exercising her role in oversight of the executive branch.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

[ Parent ]
That's what I was thinking (4.00 / 2)
One other thought, people I know and trust are saying, essentially don't trust anything. This might be a good sign, but start looking for backdoor implementation, such as USDA has already said they will do with the disease control programs such as bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, EIA, etc..

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

[ Parent ]
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