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Beef experts explain animal i.d., NAIS program
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LEWISTOWN, Mont. - Montanans have the opportunity to differentiate their cattle from others through one of the many animal identification programs offered to livestock producers.
There are several types of animal identification programs offered to American livestock producers - the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), and source, age and process verified programs.
NAIS is separate from the source, age and process verified programs, which are driven by the beef market, as it is a federal program designed to trace animal movement in the case of a communicable disease outbreak, according to Andy Kellom of the Montana Beef Network, headquartered in Bozeman, Mont. The Montana Beef Network works in conjunction with the Montana State University and Montana Stockgrowers Association to add value to Montana's cattle and beef industries.
A team of Montana Beef Network staff and association representatives recently traveled to small communities, including Lewistown, Mont., across the state explaining how cattle producers can add value to their beef product by participating in animal identification programs and how those programs differ from the NAIS.
The NAIS, said Kellom, has three tiers of identification: premise identification, individual animal identification and animal movement. Currently, the program is voluntary, but it is set to be mandatory and fully implemented by January 2009.
“Premise identification goes with the land not with the cattle,” said Kellom. “The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) wants to track high risk animal movement, in areas where they commingle with other cattle. Cow-calf producers are compliant by purchasing the tags and putting them in the cattle, and unless they have a multi-state operation, the scanning will be the responsibility of the buyers of the cattle.”
Although there has been no standard set for the type of ear tag used in the NAIS, Kellom said he believed the program would use the radio-frequency identification tags, commonly known as RFID tags, containing no data other than a 15-digit identification number.
The number would correspond with a seven-digit premise number and contact data to be stored in privately-owned and operated data bases, which would be accessed by the government only in cases of a disease threat. “The retention rates on the RFID tags are higher than the panel tags,” said Kellom. “With proper installation, the RFID tags have 98 percent retention.”
The market-driven programs are also using RFID ear tags to identify animals. However, the market-driven programs differentiate the animals based on age, source and process in which they're raised.
“The source and age verification is aimed to get into the Japanese and Asian markets again,” said Kellom. “They will not accept U.S. beef without a paper trail and third-party verification.”
Many feedyards across the nation are participating in process-verified product or quality systems assessment programs, in which the USDA assesses the feedyards’ process and systems to meet specific requirements. By participating in these programs, cattle producers can differentiate their cattle from others and take advantage of premiums paid for beef to satisfy the market demands.
Participating cattle producers are required to keep record of their calves’ birth dates, or a range of birth dates with the first and last calves born, and birth place, and have their records verified by a third party. Cattle producers participating in process-verified programs must also keep a record of vaccinations and medications given to the animals, and have those records verified, as well as the age and source data. All this data is kept in a privately-owned database.
Pfizer Ag has such a program that helps producers differentiate their beef product by verifying the producers followed a vaccination protocol when administering vaccinations to their cattle. This program, called SelectVac, requires producers enrolled to submit vaccination invoices to verify the numbers of vaccinations purchased.
“It's an opportunity to differentiate your cattle from the others,” said Farrah McGregor of Pfizer Ag. “When you are able to verify what you have done to your cattle, it becomes very important. SelectVac also allows you to age- and source-verify your cattle by providing us with the birth date and premise number or the birth date of the oldest and youngest calves. This cannot be traced back to the rancher's door - they get to the door of Pfizer, and Pfizer will call and tell the rancher there has been a request for the release of his or her information. It is strictly confidential.”
The Montana Beef Network has also been helping Montana cattle producers take advantage of market premiums through an age and source verified program for two years. The Montana Beef Network's program utilizes RFID ear tags and scanner technology.
“They associate the age and birthplace with the 15-digit number on the RFID tag,” explained Kellom. “Then we, as the third party, do the audit or check the birth records, which can be a calendar or calving book. We help the cattlemen market their cattle, set up the audits on site by looking at the birth records and calves, and provide the ear tags. We aim to qualify (participating) calves for export markets.”
Those who have participated in the Montana Beef Network have seen a difference in price. “We have seen a more defined difference in the price,” said Kellom. “Calves that were marketed as age and source verified through the PVP program saw a $1 to $3 per hundred-weight advantage in one sale. There were probably other factors playing in that, but we know some people got premiums for their marketable calves because they had participated in the program.”
In addition to discussing animal identification at the workshops, Bill Brewster of the Montana Stockgrowers Association discussed various issues the organization has been working on to protect the cattlemen's way of life and beef markets.
Such issues include arguing against the regulation of agricultural dust, preventing Superfund action on manure, lobbying against the horse slaughter prevention bill and working with other agencies on a plan to control brucellosis-infected bison in Yellowstone National Park, said Brewster.
“We need to stop that horse slaughter prevention bill in the Senate,” he said. “And we need to make sure manure isn't included in the Superfund. On the state level, we have created a clearinghouse for those affected by the fires. We are looking for donations for those in need of help.”
Dr. John Paterson, Montana State University Extension beef specialist of Bozeman, Mont., announced he intended to change his focus from the Montana Beef Network back to beef nutrition and educating the state's cattlemen on balanced rations.
“The Montana Feed Association is making their feed nutritionists available to ranchers affected by the wildfires to develop rations in fire situations,” he said. “This is free and does not cost anything.”
