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Executive Director’s Report...

published: April 30th 2010
source: ICA Of Texas

It is hard to concentrate with all of the hammering and drilling that goes along with a new roof. After many years of fighting leaks and repairing holes the new roof will be greatly appreciated and, hopefully, it will last longer than the last one. It just goes to show you that sometimes things have to be fixed from the top down. Animal Identification is a good example of just how such a fix works. From the start ICA urged USDA to allow the individual states to decide how they would handle the program. Finally USDA determined that a simpler “bookend system” be utilized requiring only interstate breeding cattle to be tagged. Each state or tribe would determine what type of identification method would be adopted in their particular state for breeding cattle being shipped outside their state. The new directive emphasizes that the speed of existing commerce not be impaired and that the new system would not be required to utilize the costly RFID tags. Under the new concept, all beef cattle sold or moved within the individual state will not require tagging.
    There are still many problems/issues to be worked out, but for now the limited program for interstate movement of breeding cattle seems to be workable. As the states go forward and work on questions such as funding, information security, and networking between states; the answers will be developed by the states according to their unique situations. ICA will continue to stay involved in the planning to make sure the burden of cost does not revert back to the producer. The previous NAIS plan put the expenses of the program directly on the cow/calf producer. The new approach by USDA has several positive points but ranchers must remain vigilant until we see the final plan. Dr. Dee Ellis, Director of the Texas Animal Health Commission, has taken the approach to work with industry to solve the problems and we look forward to being a member of the TAHC Animal ID Working Group. The opinion of each and every member of ICA is valued and your input on this program is important. Please give us a call or send an email if you wish to have your views considered. The final solution will not come quickly and must be one that remains flexible.
ICA