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USDA Utilizes Doublespeak in NAIS Business Plan; Billings, Mont. (April 23, 2008) – Doublespeak, based on the 2006 edition of the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, is defined as “evasive, ambiguous language that is intended to deceive or confuse.” “R-CALF USA is convinced, based on empirical evidence showing the Agency’s intentions to subject the U.S. cattle industry to unnecessary and avoidable disease threats from foreign countries, that the purpose of NAIS (National Animal Identification System) is to provide justification for USDA’s ongoing efforts to systematically lower longstanding import restrictions that have effectively protected the U.S. cattle herd from disease introduction and spread,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “NAIS is a woefully inadequate substitute for rigorous import restrictions against countries with disease outbreaks, and R-CALF strongly opposes USDA’s efforts to advance NAIS.” R-CALF USA recently filed comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Animal Identification System (NAIS): A Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease Traceability (Business Plan), and in those comments expressed concern that the language in the business plan is not consistent with recent USDA actions when timely traceback data has indeed been available. For example: * In December 2003, USDA withheld the known origin of the Canadian-born cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) discovered in Washington state until well after more than 50 export markets closed their borders to U.S. beef. Those export markets were led to believe, for several days, that the BSE-infected cow was of U.S. origin, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars in lost exports. * In April 2007, R-CALF USA informed USDA that the agency’s Inspector General reported that “approximately 75 percent of the tuberculosis (TB) infected cattle detected (in the U.S.) through slaughter surveillance originated in Mexico, and that these animals spent months at U.S. farms and feedlots with no restrictions to prevent commingling with domestic cattle.” In response, USDA stated it was drafting new rules to strengthen TB regulations; however, to date no such rule has been proposed. * Although fever ticks from Mexico have increased in the U.S. in recent years, spreading into areas in Texas formerly free of fever ticks, USDA is now proposing to expand access to the U.S. for Mexican cattle originating in regions infested with fever ticks. * USDA recently removed import restrictions for two countries, Japan and Canada, which continue to experience outbreaks of classical BSE, even when the agency’s own data show the potential that 20-plus BSE-infected cattle could come into the U.S. from Canada. * In January 2007, USDA proposed to begin allowing into the U.S. fresh and chilled beef from the Patagonia South Region of Argentina, a country that experienced a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak as recently as February 2006. “These actual Agency actions are in conflict with the stated purpose of NAIS and represent an end to USDA’s responsibility to prevent the introduction and spread of foreign animal diseases pursuant to the Animal Health Protection Act,” Bullard continued. “These actions further undermine USDA’s credibility, generating distrust and suspicion among consumers, as well as among cattle producers who have lost income as a result of USDA’s inattention to known sources of disease and pest problems. These actions strongly suggest that a primary, albeit unstated, purpose of NAIS is to manage foreign countries’ disease problems within the borders of the U.S. – a proposition R-CALF vehemently opposes.” R-CALF USA believes the NAIS business plan serves to reinforce this inappropriate/misapplied objective by stating that animal identification and traceability, as would be achieved by NAIS, is “necessary for maintaining trade,” that the standardization of animal identification with trading partners “is imperative to support trade,” and that electronic access to traceability information “will be instrumental” in global trade. For example: * The NAIS business plan is replete with unfounded assertions that misrepresent what is known and unknown about the feasibility and functionality of NAIS. Without any foundation or support, USDA claims it is “prioritizing its efforts by species/sectors where an increase in the traceability infrastructure can have the great return on investment; however, nowhere does the Agency explain what the amount of the investment would be to implement NAIS, nor does USDA attempt to quantify any expected returns. * USDA asserts the cattle industry “will face new animal health demands as the animal agriculture industry changes.” However, the Agency fails to explain what animal agriculture industry changes are expected to create new animal health demands. Does USDA mean that it intends to facilitate more imports from countries with disease problems through continued regulatory relaxations? * USDA claims “animal identification helps document the information necessary for age, source, and process-verified animals,” but fails to explain why the federal government should intervene in a free-market system that already provides age, source and process-verified animals as determined by competitive market forces. *USDA claims that “brands and the brand infrastructure will continue to be a vital part of animal identification,” but nowhere does the Agency explain how brands and the brand infrastructure would be integrated into NAIS. “For these reasons, R-CALF USA strongly opposes USDA’s efforts to advance NAIS,” said Bullard. “Instead, R-CALF recommends that USDA improve upon existing disease traceback programs, including the restoration of programs recently abandoned, and include in such programs the integration of state brand programs and state brand program infrastructures. Further, R-CALF also strongly opposes making premises registration or animal identification mandatory for 4-H and FFA. R-CALF also recommends that USDA funds that are presently appropriated for an animal identification program be redirected to fund ongoing and existing brucellosis surveillance/vaccination programs.” Note: To view R-CALF USA’s comments in their entirety, visit the “Animal Identification” link at www.r-calfusa.com, or contact R-CALF USA Communications Coordinator Shae Dodson to request a copy. # # # R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on trade and marketing issues. Members are located across 47 states and are primarily cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and/or feedlot owners. R-CALF USA has dozens of affiliate organizations and various main-street businesses are associate members. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516. |
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This page was last updated on Friday, June 06, 2008. |
