Monday 03-28-11

Protect our traditional rights to farm

Subject: R-CALF USA Calls on All Producers to Help Stop USDA’s New Animal Identification Plan

Background: When you and other producers and organizations helped R-CALF USA successfully stop the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in early 2010, we committed to work with USDA to use our preexisting brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis disease programs to enhance our nation’s ability to conduct disease tracebacks in breeding-age cattle that crossed state lines. For many months, we participated with USDA and many other groups to achieve this level of improvement.

But, that wasn’t enough for USDA and it now it wants to reinsert the unacceptable provisions of the defunct NAIS into its new proposal called the Animal Disease Traceability Framework (ADTF).

USDA is once again leveling a direct assault against the culture and heritage of our U.S. cattle industry through the guise of its new ADTF. USDA has done an about-face and is now proposing to delist the hot-iron brand and include feeder cattle under its new scheme.

We cannot wait for USDA’s proposed rule that will threaten the integrity of hot-iron branding, deprive producers of their personal property, and give even more control over our industry to corporate meatpackers and ear tag companies. Please read the R-CALF USA Fact Sheet copied below:

Why R-CALF USA Strenuously Opposes USDA’s New Animal ID Proposal to Delist Brands

The hot-iron brand is part-and-parcel to the culture and heritage of the U.S. cattle industry. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has long recognized the importance of the brand as a permanent means of identifying livestock, not only for determining ownership, but also for conducting disease investigations. USDA regulations concerning interstate transportation of animals include the registered brand, when accompanied by a certificate of inspection (certificate) from a recognized brand authority, as an official identification device or method for use in existing disease programs. USDA regulations at 9 CFR § 71.1 state:

Official identification device or method. A means of officially identifying an animal or group of animals using devices or methods approved by the Administrator, including, but not limited to, official tags, tattoos, and registered brands when accompanied by a certificate of inspection from a recognized brand inspection authority (emphasis added).

Under USDA’s earlier proposed Animal Disease Traceability Framework (ADTF), breeding-aged cattle would bear an ear tag containing a number identifier (such as the low-cost metal “Brite” tag) as a condition for interstate transportation. This proposal would restore traceability to levels previously achieved when breeding females were ear tagged under the brucellosis program. Like the brucellosis tag, the new tag would augment other official devices such as brands or tattoos. This augmentation enhances traceability because while ear tags are prone to loss, brands remain permanent. Brands have facilitated disease investigations throughout history.

Under this breeding-age-cattle-only proposal, interstate transportation of branded feeder cattle accompanied with a certificate would continue as it has for decades. States that identify a disease suspect in branded feeder cattle, regardless of whether the states have their own brand programs, could continue to use the brand and certificates to contact the state where the certificates were issued to identify the herd of origin – just as they have for decades.

But, USDA has now changed its position and plans to delist the brand as an official animal identification device and include feeder cattle in the ADTF. This would discredit the brand as a means of identifying cattle in interstate transportation. Here’s why: 1) The brand and accompanying certificates would forever be delisted as an official animal identification device. 2) USDA may well be precluded from requiring permanent brands on imported cattle after brands are delisted. 3) When the trigger for feeder cattle is reached, the brand will already be delisted, so USDA will need to carve out an exception to allow states to use brands to identify cattle, causing the brand to be demoted to a secondary position in relation to USDA’s ear tag. 4) No longer will the ear tag augment the permanent brand, but instead, the ear tag will be deemed a substitute for brands, providing justification for brand opponents such as packers that believe hide values wo! uld increase, and tag companies that believe sales would increase, without brands. 5) USDA’s delisting of the brand will send an erroneous signal to the industry that brands are of limited use for disease traceback and likely will trigger a de-emphasis for brand programs operating in many states. 6) USDA’s delisting of the brand would be the first step toward the eventual elimination of hot-iron branding in the United States, which will result in the devaluation of U.S. ranchers’ private property, as brands are property that is bought and sold.

R-CALF USA urges every livestock producer to immediately fight against USDA’s new ADTF.

Action: Please begin contact your congressional delegations and USDA to tell them the new animal identification proposal is absolutely unacceptable and must be stopped. You can reach your congressional members by calling the capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asking for your Senator and Representative by name. You can contact USDA by calling 202-720-3631. Letters to Congress and USDA will be extremely helpful. Please share the attached document widely.

http://nonais.org/2011/03/25/r-calf-usa-alert-32411/