U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Not Alone In Perspectives On Animal ID
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
We believe that the National Animal Identification System, promoted by the United States Department of Agriculture should be a voluntary program, providing the opportunity for livestock producers to decide for themselves whether they would like to participate in an identification program that allows for the tracing of animals throughout the market channels. There are those in the federal government and Congress who believe that there should not be a choice.
This idea of government mandating control is becoming quite a common theme for those in government (I was going to describe that as being the government in Washington, D.C., but then had to remind myself that state government officials – and a number of local folks also see themselves as the final word on any number of subjects).
It was somewhat noteworthy that this article describes Canadian livestock producers, often held up as examples of how we should fall into line behind, as not completely sold on the “advantages” of an all-knowing government information system.
Over the past little while we haven’t seen the Secretary of Agriculture advocating as strongly the process of USDA shifting from the current voluntary system to a mandatory approach. Then again he’s been busy appearing before Congressional Committees in support of the United States Government taxing carbon-based energy and penalizing main-stream energy production into a government-controlled approach for Cap-and-Tax.
I guess when you consider government control as the ultimate solution, it’s just a matter of what topic.
We believe that the National Animal Identification System, promoted by the United States Department of Agriculture should be a voluntary program, providing the opportunity for livestock producers to decide for themselves whether they would like to participate in an identification program that allows for the tracing of animals throughout the market channels. There are those in the federal government and Congress who believe that there should not be a choice.
This idea of government mandating control is becoming quite a common theme for those in government (I was going to describe that as being the government in Washington, D.C., but then had to remind myself that state government officials – and a number of local folks also see themselves as the final word on any number of subjects).
It was somewhat noteworthy that this article describes Canadian livestock producers, often held up as examples of how we should fall into line behind, as not completely sold on the “advantages” of an all-knowing government information system.
Over the past little while we haven’t seen the Secretary of Agriculture advocating as strongly the process of USDA shifting from the current voluntary system to a mandatory approach. Then again he’s been busy appearing before Congressional Committees in support of the United States Government taxing carbon-based energy and penalizing main-stream energy production into a government-controlled approach for Cap-and-Tax.
I guess when you consider government control as the ultimate solution, it’s just a matter of what topic.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 7/12/2009 5:32 AM 
Categories: National Animal Identification
Tags: USDA Government Control NAIS
Categories: National Animal Identification
Tags: USDA Government Control NAIS
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