Posted: 02.19.2010

The following statement was issued and signed by the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium regarding a national animal identification system.

On February 5th, 2010 USDA Secretary Vilsack laid out a new approach to improve animal disease traceability in the United States. This new approach involves the USDA handing over responsibility for designing and implementing an animal disease traceability system to the individual states. While the USDA will continue to oversee interstate movement of livestock, it will now rely on each individual state to provide information about interstate movement of animals in the event of a disease outbreak.

The WLIC has been a long time proponent of the development and implementation of state-based animal disease traceability systems using nationally established standards. In 2003, Wisconsin was the first state to develop a state based premises and livestock traceability system using the USDA standards. To date in Wisconsin, 63,000 premises have been registered, 635,000 animals identified, and close to 1,000,000 movement events recorded. The USDA continues to support these standards, but now decisions about implementation are in the hands of each individual state. States may choose between using the national standards or standards developed for their state only.

The WLIC Board of Directors is fully committed to protecting Wisconsin’s 25 billion dollar livestock industry against the introduction of a foreign animal disease. Wisconsin must have an effective animal disease traceability system in place, as well as preventative measures.

Recent cases of bovine tuberculosis in states like Nebraska, Texas, and South Dakota underscore that livestock diseases can happen any time or any place, and can have a significant impact on the ability of producers to move and sell livestock both in and out of state. We are encouraged by the USDA’s support for state-based implementation of animal disease traceability; however, this MUST include a common set of standards that will be adhered to by all individual states.

Through the use of common standards, producers will be assured that their animals can move between states without the extra burden of multiple system requirements and identification; that industry programs can work across state lines using these same identifiers; and that in the case of a disease outbreak, state-based systems can communicate effectively with each other.

Many questions remain about what information state officials will be expected to provide to the USDA, and how they need to accomplish this. The USDA has stated it will seek input from industry and animal health officials about further implementation procedures. The WLIC and Wisconsin are leaders in developing an infrastructure to safeguard our livestock industry and we look forward to being part of these ongoing discussions.

« back to news articles