June 2005 -- Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, on May 5, unveiled a thinking paper and timeline on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and called on agriculture producers, leaders and industry partners to provide feedback. Both documents are available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s NAIS Web site at http://www.usda.gov/naisand will be published in the Federal Register.
The strategic plan comes with a timeline, which suggests that by January 2008, a mandatory animal identification and premises registration system would be in place. By January 2009, the mandatory requirement for reporting animal movements would be implemented.
?These are suggestions that we can use as a starting point for an important discussion on how this new system will be shaped and most importantly implemented,? stated Johanns.
The Secretary encouraged comments on the document and announced that 19 listening sessions would be held across the country to hear, first-hand, the remarks from those charged with the implementation of this system. Comments can be made to the draft strategic plan through July 6, 2005.
The primary goal of the NAIS remains to create a system to ensure that all animals and premises that have had contact with a foreign or domestic animal disease of concern can be identified within 48 hours.
The Federal Register document can be located by logging on to the following link: http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=37910116418+18+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve.
The strategic plan comes with a timeline, which suggests that by January 2008, a mandatory animal identification and premises registration system would be in place. By January 2009, the mandatory requirement for reporting animal movements would be implemented.
?These are suggestions that we can use as a starting point for an important discussion on how this new system will be shaped and most importantly implemented,? stated Johanns.
The Secretary encouraged comments on the document and announced that 19 listening sessions would be held across the country to hear, first-hand, the remarks from those charged with the implementation of this system. Comments can be made to the draft strategic plan through July 6, 2005.
The primary goal of the NAIS remains to create a system to ensure that all animals and premises that have had contact with a foreign or domestic animal disease of concern can be identified within 48 hours.
The Federal Register document can be located by logging on to the following link: http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=37910116418+18+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve.