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6-7-2005 |
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ELECTRONIC EAR TAGGING HERALDS NEW ERA IN LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT Cattle at select locations throughout West Virginia have begun receiving radio identification ear tags as part of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture's (WVDA) efforts to catalog all the state's farms and provide an electronic means of monitoring the whereabouts of individual animals. The program is designed to provide rapid trace-back in the event of an animal disease outbreak, but it also can provide a powerful management tool for individual producers. "We here in West Virginia are really at the forefront of this new system thanks to the support from the Legislature, and efforts of the Animal Health staff and the cooperation of the state's agricultural community," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. "This is a system that I have advocated for many years and it appears we will finally see it come to fruition." State Veterinarian Joe Starcher said that he and members of his staff have clipped radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags on cattle at the WVDA-operated farm at Huttonsville and at the Putnam County Fair. "It seems a lot of the fairs and festivals will be getting on board this year by requiring all cattle coming in for shows and sales to carry a premise ID number," Dr. Starcher said. "We have assigned well over 5,000 numbers to farms, fairgrounds and livestock markets, but we still have a ways to go." The only information requested to register a premise are the name and address of the owner, the types of animals kept, and a physical location of the premise, such as GPS coordinates. "We realize few people are going to have GPS coordinates, but our personnel, along with extension agents throughout the state, are using portable units to gather that information when necessary," Dr. Starcher continued. "The information gathered, by law, can only be used to address animal disease issues," he added. The data gathered in West Virginia will become a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which will provide each animal with a unique identification number. Each premise that houses animals will also be assigned a premise number. As ear tags are electronically scanned, the premise where the animal is currently located is added to a list detailing all the movements of the animal. The list will be maintained in a national database, allowing for a quick quarantine of any animal that has been exposed to a communicable disease. Dr. Starcher encourages farm owners to call his office at 304-558-2214 for a premise identification number, whether or not they plan on taking animals to any fairs or festivals this summer. "This is a voluntary program at the present, but USDA has announced that it will become mandatory in coming years," he said. "There's no cost and very little hassle to get a premise number and this system will help protect our export markets if we have it in place. The technology can also be used by the farmer to build a database for his or her own herd."
Public Service AnnouncementThe West Virginia Department of Agriculture is urging any farm owners who have not done so to contact its Animal Health Division for a premise identification number. The registration will be used as part of a national program to trace sick animals and to protect export markets in case of an animal disease outbreak. The basic information requested is confidential and will be used only for animal disease issues. For more information, call 304-558-2214, or visit www.wvagriculture.org .
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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