Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

NAIS Update: Animal ID Program To Remain

Voluntary at Federal Level

North Carolina Has No Plans To Go Mandatory

Story by Celeste von Mangan

In the post-September 11 world, the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) in 2002 initiated the National Animal Identification Program (NAIS), a program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). NAIS is an information system for farms consisting of three primary components: premises registration, animal identification and animal tracing.

All three phases of the program were set to become mandatory by 2008 for cows, goats, sheep, poultry, all equines, pigs and even farmed fish. Each animal, even if only one of that species was on a farm or at a residence, was to be registered with the NAIS. Confronted with grassroots opposition, the USDA has declared the animal tracking program voluntary at the federal level, but money to implement the program will be provided for the state departments of agriculture to proceed with a mandatory program. Three states—Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana—are the only NAIS-mandatory states.

“North Carolina has no plans to go mandatory,” said Penny Page of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Division. “We feel that allowing producers to learn about the program and make an informed decision on whether to participate is more effective. Secondly, the NAIS is an evolving program and we do not want to be trailblazers. A person can participate in premises registration without being obligated to participate in the other two phases of NAIS [animal identification and animal tracing]. We feel that premises identification is the most important step.”

Page stated that participation in premises registration allows for rapid notification of animal health concerns, analogous to emergency preparedness.

“If there was a disease outbreak in the area, we would be able to contact other producers in the area to warn them,” said Page, “therefore allowing them to take measures to hopefully prevent the spread of disease to them.”