N.A.I.S.
National Animal Identification System (NAIS)
FACT SHEET
The National Animal Identification System is being put into place “to enable 48 hour traceback of the movements of any diseased or exposed animal.”
The NAIS consists of three components:
- Premises registration
- Animal identification
- Animal tracking
Those putting this into place do not consider you the owner of your animals. Their approach to this is “We must ensure the participation requirements of the NAIS not only provide the results necessary to maintain the health of the national herd…
The government is already encouraging voluntary registration on the radio.
The USDA had hoped to enact regulations by early 2008, requiring stakeholders to identify their premises and animals. At that time, all animals leaving their current premises were to be identified with the AIN or Group/Lot ID.
Fortunately, there was a tremendous public outcry against this federal regulatory intrusion into the lives and activites of farmers.
If enacted, even with public funding, there will be costs to producers. Both public and private funding will be required for the NAIS to become fully operational. The Federal government is providing the standards, national databases, and basic infrastructure.
- States and Tribes will register premises within their areas. They will also support the administration of animal identification and tracking systems that will feed information into the national database.
- Producers will identify their animals and provide necessary records to the databases.
- Managers of shows and events will report a record of participating animals.
- Market operators and processing plants will provide animal location records.
- Service providers and third parties will assist by providing animal identification and movement records to the NAIS on behalf of their producer clients.