Reprint courtesy of The Smithville Times

By Mark Gwin Editor mgwin@smithvilletimes.com 512-2374655

Thursday, March 9, 2006 Volume 115 number 10

Registration rules rile livestock owners

Proposed program would mandate every premise to register with TAHC

By mark gwin

The Smithville Times

Reports of mad cow disease and bird flu have dominated newscasts in recent years, but what hasn’t gathered as much attention is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s effort to implement a National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

“Knowing where species of animals are located would greatly enhance our ability to alert owners and get ahead of a disease outbreak before it spreads,” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission ( TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency.

Premises identification is the first step in a three-part program which will eventually include the tagging of animals with Animal Identification Numbers (AIN) and the tracking of all movement of animals.

Under the rules proposed by TAHC, all locations with even one chicken (or other fowl), horse, pig, sheep, goat or cow would be required to register.

The level of information being collected, which will be stored in a centralized, national database, has some producers concerned.

“To me this is a violation of privacy,” said Mike Kelley, a small-scale livestock man in Bastrop County. “While in the event of a disease outbreak it might offer some help, it opens up several other cans of worms that haven’t been addressed.”

To register premises, livestock owners must submit the owner’s name, a contact name, phone number, physical address and the species (but not the number of animals) housed, managed or handled on a site, such as a farm, veterinary clinic, arena, or livestock market. There is no minimum number required to register – any facility with one animal would be subject to the rules if adopted.

Though the information will be confidential, it will be subject to being released under a court order, Kelley said. “This opens up a lot of liability and privacy concerns for producers – not to mention the possibility that this information could be illegally taken and used against producers.”

Premises registration is currently voluntary, and approximately 7,500 of Texas’ estimated 200,000 producers have registered thus far.

The proposed regulations call for premises registration to be compulsory, beginning July 1.  Persons can register their premises in Texas at no charge through June 30, 2006.  The premises registered prior to July 1, 2006, would be due for a two-year renewal July 1, 2008, when a $10 per year fee would be paid as a biennial fee of $20 fee for two years.

Under the proposed regulations, persons who register on or after July 1, 2006, would pay the $20 two-year fee upon initial registration.  Registration renewal and the $20 two-year fee would be required every 24 months thereafter. 

That fee is another area of contention among those who think the push to a mandatory registration program is premature. Kelley noted that there would be additional fees down the road if the program continues, such as the cost of tagging each animal.

“The fact is, we don’t know how much this is going to cost producers. And this program is being used as a funding mechanism for TAHC. I think that’s why they’re trying to get the program in place so quickly,” Kelley said.

“Like most folk in Texas, I’m operating on a small scale – I don’t derive much, if any, income from my operations. If this pushes smaller producers out of business, consumers will see the price of meat go up,” Kelley said.

When first publishing the proposed regulations in the Texas Register, the fiscal impact statements anticipated the agency would collect more revenue in the premises registration fees than it would cost to implement the program – approximately $2 million would eventually be collected in fees annually, and the program would cost approximately $1 million a year.

“We (TAHC) are one of the few state agencies that does not generate revenue through fees,” said Hillman. “We’ve had strong direction from the legislature that we need to do our share to cover the costs of our operations.”

“We decided we needed a fee that was equitable across the board, so what better way than to tie it to all the premises that have livestock.”

Another point of contention for Kelley is the speed with which the commission is moving to implement these rules. The USDA first announced their intention to create a national ID system in 2004 with a draft plan. The plan relies on the states to implement the premises identification registration. Thus far, only Wisconsin has implemented the plan and Indiana is poised to.

“I think TAHC is jumping the gun. What’s the rush to implement this system before people have a chance to really think about alternatives?” Kelley said.

Hillman noted that the USDA draft plan does call for mandatory implementation in the near future, though a date has not been specified. “If we wait until it’s a national requirement, then our producers won’t be in compliance with the federal standards. I would rather we get ahead of the curve so we’re prepared,” he said.

After the Feb. 16 meeting, the commission is considering two revisions to the proposed rules: an exemption would allow 4-H and FFA students to be covered by their 4H club or FFA chapter premises identification numbers.

Also, people would be exempt from registering if they have only caged exotic fowl (such as, but not limited to parakeets, budgies, finches, canaries, cockatiels, parrots and other caged birds) and these fowl are housed in the person’s residence and not used for sale, barter or exchange.  Dr. Hillman noted that, during an avian disease outbreak, the TAHC may require the premises to be registered, if the site is within a quarantine, surveillance or eradication zone established by the TAHC for controlling or eradicating the disease.

Those interested in commenting about the proposed rules may present them during the meeting or send them to the animal commission at comments@tahc.state.tx.us. More information about the program is available online at www.tahc.state.tx.us or by calling the agency at 1-800-550-8242.

Kelley and other livestock producers who are concerned about the program have created their own Web site which discusses their concerns with the document and offers links to more information about the program at www.texasanimalhealthcommissionwatch.com.

For those who wish to register their premises voluntarily, they may register now online at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us, or by completing a registration form and faxing or mailing it to the TAHC.  Many county extension agents, as well as agricultural associations, have registration forms available, or can assist in registering online.  The TAHC also has staff members who can assist by phone. The TAHC’s headquarters in Austin can be reached toll-free at 1-800-550-8242. 

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