By Matthew Weaver
Capital Press
August 26, 2010
PASCO, Wash. -- USDA officials say they hope by April to introduce a proposed rule laying out the states' roles in a new system for tracing animal diseases.
The department held its final public hearing on the new traceability plan -- formerly called the animal ID plan -- Aug. 24 in Pasco, Wash.
About 40 industry members and Washington State Department of Agriculture representatives were on hand, with most of the discussion focusing on cattle.
Neil Hammerschmidt, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service animal disease traceability program manager, said the department will evaluate feedback received through August, and he hopes to have a proposed rule published in April.
After a 60- to 90-day comment period, the final rule will be published 12 to 15 months later, when the regulation will go into effect.
Hammerschmidt believes the new plan, which shifts control to the state level, has been well-received by producers.
A previous mandatory federal animal ID plan was met by a storm of protest from some producers.
Hammerschmidt continues to hear from some who feel progress should be quicker and at a higher level of traceability, he said, while others are more comfortable with a low-technology, low-startup cost approach.
"It's going to be a massive undertaking," said Pendleton, Ore., cattle buyer Ron Currin of Beef Northwest. "This first system is not going to be perfect, but it's better than we've got now, which is no traceback of any kind."
Currin said the plan essentially creates two classes of calves: those that are transported across the state line and need to be tagged, and those that stay in-state and don't need to be tagged. Out-of-state buyers need to buy a tagged calf, and would have no interest in an untagged calf they can't export.
Currin believes the process under the new regulations would basically be no different from what it is now.
"Most of the burden from this meeting looks like it's placed on the state veterinarians to keep track of all these numbers, eartags and databases," he said.
Washington state veterinarian Leonard Eldridge said that during a disease outbreak USDA and other agencies will ask states if they are able to tell where an animal came from, where it went and if the disease can be contained. If so, the rest of the animals in the state will move without restriction.
Full text:
http://www.capitalpress.com/orewash/mw-Animal-traceability-meeting-082710-art
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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