Daily News Update, Dec. 17, 2007

USDA and its partners continue to register NAIS success

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has recorded 429,600 premises registered nationwide–with substantial increases this year in the number of premises registered as part of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

This month, Nebraska became the 10th state to register at least 50 percent of its total estimated production agriculture premises under this system.

"Premises registration is absolutely necessary to rapidly and reliably trace and eradicate animal disease," said Bruce Knight, under secretary of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs. "As the number of registered premises continues to grow, it emphasizes the growing support for animal identification, and I applaud these producers for making a choice that is crucial to the health and economic well-being of commercial livestock and poultry industries in the United States."

Nebraska officials attribute the increased registrations in part to a significant number of visits to its National Animal Identification System  "Locate in 48" Web site. "Locate in 48" publicizes the main goal of NAIS, which is to retrieve traceback data within a 48 hour window to contain the spread of animal disease.

Other factors contributing to the increase in registrations in Nebraska include the ability to register by phone and direct mail outreach.

Other states that have topped the 50 percent mark include Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin. West Virginia is approaching the 50 percent mark, having registered 49.8 percent of its estimated 17,670 premises.

Other states, including Delaware, Iowa and Massachusetts, have reached the 40 percent mark and double-digit registration gains have occurred this year in a number of states. Iowa started the year with just over 11,000 premises registered and now that number is over 20,000—an increase of almost 80 percent.

Texas registered more than 6,400 new premises this year, resulting in a 27.7 percent increase.

Working cooperatively with states, tribes and industry partners, the NAIS is a modern streamlined information system that helps producers respond quickly and effectively to animal disease events. It consists of three components: premises registration, animal identification and tracing.

The premises registration component of NAIS ensures the availability of a nationwide communications network to assist livestock owners and animal health officials in the event of an animal disease event. There are an estimated 1.4 million production premises in the United States.

To contact a state partner or find out more about NAIS go to www.usda.gov/nais .