National Animal IdentificationSystem (NAIS)

National Animal ID, Premises ID & the …

Dr. Max IrsikBeef Cattle Extension

VeterinarianUniversity of Florida

Gainesville FL352-392-4700

Steffany DragonHillsborough County Extension

Pat HogueOkeechobee County Extension

Outline

Goals & Guiding Principles

Timeline

Components-Premises ID-Animal ID-Animal Tracking

Technology

What is NAIS?

NAIS is a voluntary program• It is a cooperative:

state/federal/industry program administered by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection service (APHIS)

• It is a tool to locate & contain animals that have potentially contagious diseases

4 USDA guiding principles for NAIS

1. The system must be able to allow tracking of animals from point of origin to processing within 48 hours without unnecessary burden to producers and other stakeholders.

2. The system's architecture must be developed without unduly increasing the size and role of government.

3. The system must be flexible enough to utilize existing technologies and incorporate new identification technologies as they are developed.

4. Animal movement data should be maintained in a private system that can be readily accessed when necessary by state and federal animal health authorities

NAIS NOT BEING DEVELOPED FOR:

Production DATA informationAnimal production data

Health

Genetics

Carcass info

Feeding info

Source and age verification

To encourage the government to spy on producers

Goal of NAIS

It is being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and State agencies—in cooperation with industry—

Enable 48-hour trace back of the movements of any diseased or exposed animal.

This will help to ensure rapid disease containment and maximum protection of America's animals.

Benefits of NAIS

Infrastructure to:- improve current disease eradication & control efforts-protect against widespread outbreaks of domestic and foreign animal diseases-address threats from deliberate introduction of disease

A tool to facilitate emergency management response systems

A firewall to protect the national health, reputation and economics of American agriculture

Maintain access to domestic and international markets

NAIS MilestonesJune 2004 Cooperative agreements with

states and tribesAugust 2005 Premises registration systems

operationalMarch 2006 individual animal ID beginsJune 2006 Cooperative agreement with

private and state (ATD)Early 2007 Private State ATD operational

Latest Time Line for NAIS

All components of NAIS are to be operational by 2007

Full Implementation of NAIS by 2009

Full producer participation by 2009

Will this be a Mandatory Program?

If the marketplace, along with state & federal identification programs, does not provide adequate incentives for achieving full participation in the NAIS by 2009, USDA may take a regulatory approach.

NAIS Will be Phased In integrating 3 key components

1. Premises Identification Locations that manage or hold animals Will be identified with a unique 7

character identifier.

2. Animal Identification Individually or as a group (Group Lot

identification number) Associates an animal with premise

NAIS Feb 23, 2006 “Administration of Official devices with the Animal Identification Number”

3. Animal TrackingAs animals move the AIN will be associated with the New Premises

animals will maintain their original number

Information collected for each movementAIN or GIN and PIN of receiving local

Date

Compatible technologies with Canada and Mexico

NAIS Will be Phased In Integrating 3 key components

First Step: Premises Identification Number (PIN)

• The identification of livestock premises is the foundation of the NAIS & must be established before animals can be tracked

• National Premises ID numbers contain 7 alphanumeric characters. Ex. A123R79

• Single PIN for each location regardless of different species…no separate PIN for cattle, horses, swine, etc.

• Information associated with PIN: name of entity, contact person, address, contact phone, type of operation; NO proprietary production data

• USDA assigns 1 permanent number to each location involved in animal agriculture; does NOT change when sold

• Doesn’t cost a thing

Premise Registration

The first step in implementing the NAIS is identifying and registering premises that house animals.

Premises would include locations where livestock and poultry are

ManagedMarketed Exhibited

AS of March 2006 235,000 premises or 10% of the national total.

Premises Registration

• Foundation of the System

• Has been implemented in all 50 states and 2 territories and several tribes

Multiple species and Premises ID

A single premises identification number will be used for each location, regardless of the number of species associated with it.

A producer will not have a separate premises identification number forbeef cattledairy cattleswine horsespoultry

Q.Q. How is a premises defined when livestock enterprise has multiple locations?

Ideally, each location identifiedOnly home location required to be registered at this time…

2nd Step: Animal ID

Being developed as a Government-industry partnership, share the cost

Animal Identification Number (AIN) will be 15 numeric characters, first 3 reflecting the internationally rec. code for the US (840) Ex. 840123456789012

AIN will allow a single animal lifetime ID that can be printed on a tag, affixed, or assigned to the animal

Animal Identification

Will streamline emergency response and enhance existing disease surveillance, control and eradication

Identify each animal with a unique identifier and linking to its birth place or premise of origin

Animal Identification

BLASI

Why is Visual ID not Sufficient by Itself?

Does not identify animals as unique individuals that correlate back to a single herd

Does not indicate herd of originDoes not meet the international requirements

as a valid form of identificationDoes not facilitate the recall or collection of

information in an accurate and timely manner

Why Electronic ID? (EID)

Provides the linkage necessary for converting data into accessible and useable information with greater accuracy and timeliness

Workable at the speed of commerce ie a packing plant.

Placing tags

Tag placed in the left ear Placing the official

identification tag consistently in the left ear will help create more awareness that it is the official tag and not to be removed

Proper placement improves retention

Q.Q. Who is Responsible for Applying ID to Animals?

Initially, animals must be identified as they leave whatever premises on, regardless of where born

After a few yrs—Identifying animals will be responsibility of owner of each animal at its ‘premises of birth’

For producers who lack equipment for individual ID, tagging station available for a fee (livestock marketing facility, vet clinic, fairgrounds, etc.)

Q.Q. When cow sold to other producer, does she need new premises ID tag for new location?

NO; one permanent animal id# (tag w/official AIN printed on it; when sold, animal movement reported, & database now associates AIN w/buyer’s PIN…nothing changes on the cow

Ex. Rancher A Rancher B

AID: 840123456789012

AID: 840123456789012

DATE: February 2, 2004

DATE: October 1, 2004

Premises: A12345D Premises: Z54321A

Event: Tag Applied Event: Arrived

Do I Have to Tag All of My Cattle?

• No…if animals born, raised, and die on ranch, don’t need to be tagged

• However…if a chance the animal will change ownership, co-mingle with other animals, or travel to another state, needs tagging

3rd Component: Animal Tracking

ATDAnimal tracking databases

Are state or privately owned

Information obtained from these is not publicly available. FOI exempt

Maintain confidentiality

Tracking or Reporting Movement

When Animals enter commerce change ownership go to a sale barn etc.

Move interstate feedyard in Kansas Changes premises location

New owner

Commingles with animals from other premisesBull stud commingledSale barn enters commerceTaken to a show ???? Veterinary clinic ???

4 pieces of Information collected and stored by USDA

Animal Identification Number, AIN, or Group/Lot Identification Number, GIN

Premises Identification Number, PIN, of the location where the event takes place

Date of the event Event type: movement in, movement out,

sighting of an animal at a location, termination of the animal

Federal Access to the DataA confirmed positive test for list A diseases

(Bioterrorism)An animal disease emergency as, determined

by the Secretary of AgricultureThe need to conduct a traceback to

determine the origin of infection for a program disease (brucellosis, tuberculosis, etc)

The need to conduct surveillance for another domestic or emerging disease.

Government Access to the Data

Portal to the ATD Animal Trace Processing System ATPS

Deployment anticipated early in 2007

USDA: Technology-Neutral PositionUSDA develops standards for collecting & reporting info.

Industry & species working groups determine tech.

So Far…• Cattle Working Group & Industry leaning

toward animal id tags• The Electronic Tags cost approximately $2.50 • The Producer will probably be responsible for

the initial cost of the tag• Placement: in left ear• Cattle Working Group suggests that reporting

of animal movement done by receiving party• Person sending animal must properly ID

before: changes ownership, moves interstate, animal comingles w/animals from other premises

Technology Options…•Radio frequency: “RFID”…cross reference with a visual tag # so producer can maintain records visually, without scanner•Animal’s biometrics: Retinal Image, DNA, etc.•Electronic chips•Technology not yet determined, & adoption would be premature if the reason is simply to stay in compliance with the NAIS

Tag Standards Currently

USDA approval pending Tags under review

USDA approvedTag mfg.

Alflex, Destron, Y-Tex

TAG Standards

One time use Unalterable Readability Tag Loss rates Life of tags Plasticity Non toxic Deterioration of printing on tag ISO Standards 37, 57, 9352

Description of Printing

Must have imprinted the US shield on its surface Two piece tags both shield and AIN with

840 country code on both pieces

Tag must bear the entire 15 digit AIN US shield minimum width of 0.2

inches(5mm) Font for all characters must be ARIAL

Description of Printing

Print size for bovine tags must be a minimum height of 0.2 inches for numbers and letters

ID of the mfg logo or trademark must be observable on the tag

The text unlawful to remove must be imprinted on the tag

Description of the Printing

A space should be inserted between each 3rd digit of the AID 840 003 123 456 789

Printing or information may be authorized if it does not compromise the readability of the tag.

Alternative Numbers that will be Eventually phased out

Acceptable variants of the "840" number include the following

A 15-digit sequence that begins with a 3-digit manufacturer code

985123456789012

A 15-character alphanumeric sequence that begins with "USA.“

USA123456789012

Take Home Message: Government and Industry still working out NAIS

glitchesHowever…it’s inevitable & beneficial to

American agriculture (protecting the national herd & maintaining market access)

We can’t be left behind globally…European Union, Canada, Australia already have Animal ID systems in place

So…don’t go out on a limb regarding technology, but DO get your Premises ID registration completed & sent in today!

Questions?

Borrowed from Pat Hogue

Thank You

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This presentation brought to you by the

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