TMCnet News
Livestock ID system to be ready by fall(Dallas Morning News, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) DALLAS _ What industry officials call the first national database for tracking livestock was unveiled Wednesday and should be ready this fall for voluntary registration. The database _ initially run by Dallas-based ViaTrace LLC _ marks another step toward the U.S. Department of Agriculture's goal of tracing any animal to its place of origin within 48 hours in order to keep diseased animals out of the food supply. Several industry experts and others heralded the launch of the database, which will be overseen by the U.S. Animal Identification Organization, a spin-off from a cattle industry trade group. "Better tracking will help the industry, will help consumers ... and helps the U.S. meet its trade goals with the world," said Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, who spoke at a news conference to announce the database. "It simply makes sense." But the fact that a government agency isn't operating the database has raised fears in some about data security and increased costs, both of which may keep large numbers of livestock owners from participating. "If USDA had kept policy organizations out of this and left it under the jurisdiction of the state animal health commissions, they'd be a lot closer to having a voluntary animal ID system that more producers would participate in," said Chuck Kiker, a Beaumont, Texas, rancher and president of trade group R-CALF USA, which represents some cattle producers. He and others also noted that the government would have to pay for a government-run database. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been trying for years to craft a national animal identification system. It decided in August to let the private sector maintain the animal ID database. That set the stage for the new system announced by the U.S. Animal Identification Organization, or USAIO, a nonprofit group that's a spin-off from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, one of the largest cattle industry trade groups. Its multispecies, multilanguage database, using software developed by ViaTrace and Microsoft, is designed to record movements of livestock from birth farm to processing. "It can help protect the market in times of crisis," said Joe Queenan, vice president and founder of ViaTrace. "Instead of shutting down all trade, it helps you respond to the situation at hand." Under the program, livestock owners would first register their venues (including feed lots and sale barns) with state animal health officials _ called premise registration. (EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM) Premise registration is now voluntary in Texas, but the Texas Animal Health Commission is set to meet March 23 to review a plan that would make it mandatory starting July 1. (END OPTIONAL TRIM) With the premise registration number _ and government-allocated numbers for each animal (or group of animals) _ anyone interested in participating in the national database could register online. The government anticipates that several databases eventually will handle animal identification. Kiker and others expressed concern over the security of information kept by a private organization with close ties to a trade group. Queenan said the system has "multiple layers of security to get in" and data with 128-bit encryption. He declined to reveal what his 2-year-old, privately held company is being paid to create and launch the database. Eventually, he said he plans to train workers with the USAIO to run the system. After that, his company will continue to be paid a license fee for the software. He estimated that the cost to use the system would work out to 30 cents over the life of an animal. Charles Miller, a beef producer from Nicholasville, Ky. and chairman of the USAIO, said it is still not clear how that cost would break down between the various industry players. Miller said he was aware of some producers' concerns about turning information over to his group, but he said security would be tight. "Will we receive 100 percent participation? No," he said. "But we have to put the best effort forward that we can." ___ (c) 2006, The Dallas Morning News. Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/ Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail [email protected]. |