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R-Calf Pleased by Elimination of NAIS

Last Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced he was revising his agency's prior policy on animal disease traceability. The prior policy of a National Animal Identification System was vehemently opposed by R-CALF USA and its numerous state affiliates.  R-CALF USA President/Region VI Director Max Thornsberry, a Missouri veterinarian, thanked the Secretary for his receptiveness to the interests of U.S. cattle farmers and ranchers.

Calling Friday's announcement a major victory, Thornsberry says that the Secretary has signaled he is going back to the drawing board to develop a new system that does not infringe upon the rights and privileges of U.S. cattle farmers and ranchers as did NAIS. Thornsberry says this is exactly what R-Calf has been urging USDA to do for the past five years.

Thornsberry said NAIS was conceived and supported by international trade organizations, ear tag manufacturers and multinational meatpackers, and was all about controlling cattle farmers and ranchers and cattle markets, not about controlling and preventing animal diseases.