USDA "Listening Sessions" on National Animal Identification System
The USDA has scheduled Listening Sessions, times and places at the end of this message. If you aren't sure what to say, Mary Zanoni of Farm for Life, prepared the following:
First, you may have seen that USDA put out a list of points they askÊpeople to address at the meetings. I would recommend ignoring their list -- it is just working off their agenda, which is to find a way to quiet people down so they can go ahead with mandatory NAIS. I think this is no time to "quiet down" because it seems like for the first time in several years we may be making some progress against NAIS. Some groups such as the National Cattlemen and the Farm Bureau, that used to be 100% for mandatory NAIS, have gotten so much flack from their members that now they have policies to keep NAIS voluntary. So it's time to stay on the attack, I think.
Some of the main points you might want to cover are --
-- NAIS will drive out small producers and just lead to more consolidation of livestock in the hands of the biggest producers
-- NAIS favors the pork and chicken industries over beef because pork & chicken can use inexpensive "group ID" for thousands of animals while beef producers would have to tag every animal with the RFID tags. It is unfair and improper for the govt to be setting up a system that economically favors one industry segment over another.
-- NAIS will cause manyÊfarmers and ranchers to quit raising livestock because it is culturally inappropriate to our way of life. We choose to live in rural places and raise livestock because we are independent-minded people who like to do for ourselves and we would not want to answer to some "boss" -- especially not the govt -- by having to report to them all kinds of things happening with our animals.
-- NAIS is especially hard on older producers, and that is just plain unfair and discriminatory, to make people who have been raising livestock for decades disrupt their lives to conform to the complicated new NAIS program.
Well, those suggestions plus your own most important points should be enough. Probably they will not allow each person more than 5 minutes or so to speak. I understand USDA is also saying they are only going to let people speak in the morning and that the afternoon will be devoted to "small groups" trying to reach "consensus" on how to get past the problems and implement NAIS. That sounds ridiculous to me, it is just like their "suggested topics," nothing but a way to force us in the direction of a mandatory NAIS. So I would suggest just not attending any "small group" sessions.ÊÊ
You should bring a copy of your comments in writing so you can submit that for the record as well as stating your comments at the meeting.ÊÊ
Most important, try to bring as many anti-NAIS friends as possible to the meeting for a show of strength.
USDA, besides having the "listening sessions," also has an electronic docket set up to take more comments on NAIS -- the more the better, I say, so you can urge folks to submit commentsÊelectronically, regardless of whether they go to the "listening session" or not. Here's theÊplace for comments -- http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0027.
Now, you may be thinking, what about ranchers and farmers who have no internet access -- how do they comment? Yes, that's an excellent point, becauseÊthe 2007 Census of Agriculture says that some 43 percent of farms have NO internet access, at all -- and the percentage is even much higher in some areas of the country, such as the Southeast. Yet the announcement of the above address for online comments gave NO address for mailing in comments. Well, since those ranchers and farmers with no internet access will also be the most harmed by NAIS, I think it would be appropriate for them to mail their comments straight to:
Secretary Tom Vilsack
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
ÊÊ
They should mention that they want to respond to the announcement requesting NAIS comments, but could not do so at the online address given in the announcement, because they are among the 43% of farmers withÊNO internet access!!
Also, some other points to considerÊin preparation for theÊmeeting -- The USDA keeps trotting out a possible foot-and-mouth outbreak as the "bogeyman" to scare us into NAIS. But, the United Kingdom had already had an animal ID/tracing system in place for nearly a decade before their big FMD outbreak in 2001 -- and their national ID system didn't stop the big 2001 widespread outbreak, did it? Plus, USDA and the state vets in favor of NAIS say they need NAIS so they can just contact all of us to let us know in case there is an outbreak of FMD or other disease. However, just "notifying" people is actually counterproductive to what they have to do in an outbreak. If there is an outbreak, what they are most worried about is the small number of people who will "cheat" -- that is, people who, if they hear a quarantine or depopulation is coming, will try to get animals out to buyers or just out of the quarantine area so they won't suffer a financial loss. The way the govt guards against that is by throwing up roadblocks and physically inspecting trailers and farms. Notifying people through NAIS contact info would actually give the "cheaters" a head start! And of course, the govt vets have to go out to the farms in the disease area to actually examine and test animals, so how does NAIS possibly save them any trouble?
Further details are at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2009/04/seclisten.shtml. Stakeholders may pre-register for a session here: NAISSessions@aphis.usda.gov.
Thursday, May 14
Harrisburg, PA
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center
2300 N Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Monday, May 18
Pasco, WA
Trac Center 6600 Burden Blvd.
Pasco, WA 99301
Wednesday, May 20
Austin, TX
Embassy Suites Hotel Austin Central
5901 N IH-35
Austin, TX 78723
Thursday, May 21
Birmingham, AL
Cahaba Grand Convention Center
3660 Grandview Parkway
Birmingham. AL 35243
Friday, May 22
Louisville, KY
Crowne Plaza,
Louisville, Airport
830 Phillips Lane
Louisville, KY 40209
Wednesday, May 27
Storrs, CT
University of Connecticut Storrs Campus - Bishop Center
One Bishop Circle
Storrs, CT 06269
Monday, June 1
Loveland, CO - TBD
Please contact me or Mary if you have any questions. Spekaing out about this issue is crucial and your voice will make a difference. -- Christine Heinrichs How to Raise Poultry