Animal ID Joe C. Paschal Livestock Specialist Texas Cooperative Extension

Why Do We Need ID? National animal identification will enhance disease preparednessNational animal identification will enhance disease preparedness Will reduce the financial and social impacts of animal health incidentsWill reduce the financial and social impacts of animal health incidents –Gain market access and increase consumer demand –Gain market access and increase consumer demand Promote continued confidence in animal productsPromote continued confidence in animal products

Market Influence on Animal Identification

July 2, 2004 – McDonald’s: Follow that Beef!July 2, 2004 – McDonald’s: Follow that Beef! –“McDonald’s Corp aims to have at least 10 percent of its U.S. beef purchases traceable from farm to table by year-end in an effort to assure consumers about food safety” – John Hayes, Senior Director of U.S. Supply for McDonald’s –“We think an animal ID program is essential to being able to do that,” says Hayes, Niedecken 2004

Beef Industry Impact:Beef Industry Impact: –McDonalds has 13,000 Stores in the US –Each store averages 230,000 lbs of Beef annually –10% Source Verified would require 300M lbs –Average Beef Carcass produces 150 lbs of trim or the equivalent of 2 million animals. –Annual Fed Cattle Slaughter – 39 million animals McDonalds’ annual beef requirement – 3 billion lbs.McDonalds’ annual beef requirement – 3 billion lbs. 10% Source Verified will require 5% of the market10% Source Verified will require 5% of the market 25% Source Verified will require 13% of the market or 5 million animals25% Source Verified will require 13% of the market or 5 million animals Niedecken 2004 Source Verification

Wal-Mart’s Impact on the Beef IndustryWal-Mart’s Impact on the Beef Industry –Requires 1.95 million Select-grade cattle per year –This represents 15% of the total steer and heifer slaughter Niedecken 2004 Source Verification

Age Verification Japan < 20 months of age

QSA??? BEV??? Quality System Assessment ProgramQuality System Assessment Program –Procedure that applies to marketing programs for agricultural products that are submitted to the USDA for verification –Documentation is the key –Source Verification, Age Verification Beef Export Verification ProgramBeef Export Verification Program –The program will provide independent verification of technical age requirements for exported cattle –Falls under a QSA

Disease Surveillance

U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) Defines the standards and framework for implementing and maintaining a phased-in national animal identification system for the U.S.Defines the standards and framework for implementing and maintaining a phased-in national animal identification system for the U.S.

USAIP Focus and Goal… Maintain the health of the U.S. herd – –have the capability to identify all premises that had direct contact with a foreign animal disease (FAD) within 48 hours after discovery.”

What animals are involved? Currently includes all:Currently includes all: –Domestic cattle –Bison –Swine –Sheep –Goats –Cervids (deer and elk) –Horses –Poultry & game birds –Aquaculture –Camelids (llamas, alpacas, etc.) –Ratites (ostriches, emus, etc.)

Essential Components 1)National premises identification system 2)Individual animal identification system 3)Group/Lot identification system 4)Required infrastructure

National Premises Identification System Provides a nationally unique number for each premises involved in animal agricultureProvides a nationally unique number for each premises involved in animal agriculture Example: 000ABCExample: 000ABC

What defines a premises??? Identifiable physical locationIdentifiable physical location Represents a unique and describable geographic entityRepresents a unique and describable geographic entity –where activity affecting the health and/or traceability of food producing animals may occur –represents the producer contact location when extensive grazing operations exist.”

Multiple Locations (Commingle Herds) Home Place Premise # 000ABC

Multiple Locations (Individual Herds) Purebred Brangus Herd Premise # 000ABC Premise # 123DEF CommercialHerd It may be best to have 2 premise numbers

Premises Form Premises Form

0000

000AAA0

Registering Premises Proposed fee is $10 per year per premises numberProposed fee is $10 per year per premises number –pay two years at a time Fee will not be collected until 2008 on premises registered prior to April 1, 2006Fee will not be collected until 2008 on premises registered prior to April 1, rd party companies offering to register your premises3 rd party companies offering to register your premises –$25 handling fee –Not necessary

Individual Animal Identification System National system to provide unique numbers for individual animalsNational system to provide unique numbers for individual animals –Will follow ISO code structure standard for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lifetime number imprinted and encoded with individual numberLifetime number imprinted and encoded with individual number –Each animal will receive only one number during its lifetime (similar to a SS#) Example: Example:

Individual Identification A23L449 USAIN Manager National Premises Database Approved tagging services and tagging sites will be availableApproved tagging services and tagging sites will be available

Individual Animal Tracking Between Premises A23L DW31 Livestock Auction SB3T

Animal Tracking Record (Stored in a database……..not on the tag) Animal Number Date Prem. # Code A23L449? DW31? SB3T552? G3D? CD77? Tag is allocated to premises Sighting Movement in Harvested Cow/Calf Auction Stocker Feedlot Packer

Timeline for Implementation (NAIS: April 25, 2005) July 2005: All States capable of premises registrationJuly 2005: All States capable of premises registration July 2005: Animal ID Number system operationalJuly 2005: Animal ID Number system operational January 2008: Premises registration and animal ID requiredJanuary 2008: Premises registration and animal ID required January 2009: Reporting of defined animal movements; program becomes mandatoryJanuary 2009: Reporting of defined animal movements; program becomes mandatory Key Milestones

How should I prepare for the program??? 1)Begin registering premises 2)Stay up to date on the implementation of the program 3)How will I tag my cattle once the program is mandatory? 4)How can I use this to benefit my operation?

Thank You