RFID - Australian Perspective

[tytower]

We had this system of ear tagging cattle forced on us.

Its called National Livestock Identification scheme - NLIS -

Costs about a dollar for each ear tag , $40 for the Allflex Pliers (Old ones won't do it) $5000 or so if you get a laptop , scales ,software, tag reader etc to make any use of it .

The only use I can see is that the slaughter house can read the tag a bit easier than the old tail tag system we had . So we spend Millions of dollars and millions of man hours putting these thing in their ears and like the tail tags before them , the ear tags get cut off at slaughter.

Here s a scan of where we are at now

Don't let your mob get started - react fiercely now!

http://cattletoday.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=6989&cat=500&ppuser=2399

 

[vs_cattle]

wow thats crazy for me
I dont see people with 1-10 head spending 5,000 on equipment

 

[diamondn]

Canada looked at the austraillian system and created it similar. In time I can see it going that route as well.

CCIA tags are now read by scanners in the auctions as well but when there is a off the ranch sale the bar codes are not all being transfered in a system anywhere.

There is still lots of flaws in the Canadian system in my opinion due to the lack of records being kept. Now it needs to be improved and I am not saying changing the tag (again) for the slaughter houses. I mean an improvement is needed for the ranchers enabling them to record the barcodes better rather than writing down all the #'s... Right now Canada can buy all the software as well but again it is about $5000 and the scanners do not work below -10 degrees Celsius. (14 degrees F)

I have not heard what is the US using for Animal Identifcation? What is being created?

 

[Oldtimer]

I have not heard what is the US using for Animal Identifcation? What is being created?

Right now the US ID is hit and miss- state to state- some have very good systems that have worked for over 100 years- others have nothing....
The USDA is proposing almost the ideal identical system that Australia has- which I have not heard anything good about from any major Australian producer :shock:

Interestingly - Yesterday I had a chance to speak with one of the Montana Dept of Livestock brand inspectors that had worked the brucellosis outbreak down at Yellowstone Park-- they had the job of tracing back all cattle that had came into or went out of that herd for the past 5 years and all cattle coming in any type of contact.....

When they finished all the trackdown they were critiqued by the Federal boys-- and he said that the head USDA official in charge of the operation flat out admitted to them that the current proposed tagging system of NAIS's could not have handled the trackdown as fast and as thoroughly as they were able to do with the states brand inspection system....

Kind of shows that lots of things will work if you have a good infrastructure built up and a smooth running system....

Somehow "good infrastructure and smooth running system" are not words that ever fit in with anything the US government has ever put together or sticks their fingers into....Kind of tells you why I'm skeptical of any ID system promoted by the "guvment who is here to help you"... ;-) :lol:

But like they did in Australia-- this neocon Administration is going to shove it down our throats whether its good or not- or whether anyone wants it or not....

 

[diamondn]

Well that is what they did in Canada as well. Initially it was said voluntary and then in 2 years it became manditory. Now they are talking of doing the same with the horses. Tags were another issue that was shoved down the throat. The metal clip tags that were the cheapest and stay in the ear the best were voted out because the scanners in the big plants had a hard time reading the code. (another issue...)

The BSE cows were searched the old way as well in Canada and quickly done.

You have to take your hat off to those who know how to do that old style research. ;-)

But like they did in Australia-- this neocon Administration is going to shove it down our throats whether its good or not- or whether anyone wants it or not....

 

[PeaceCountryCowboy]

CCIA tags are now read by scanners in the auctions as well but when there is a off the ranch sale the bar codes are not all being transfered in a system anywhere.

Actually they're only being read by scanners at slaughter plants. Auction's it's just brands that we read. Some feedlots do also. A lot of it's for this age verification rather then trace back. Producers register tag numbers online with birthdates that go into the national databank so when they're run through the slaughter plant they can be varified under 30 months.

Like Oldtimer said, we also do better trace back by brands then the tags. The tags will only take it straight back to the farm that tagged them. We can usually trace it back through all the owners with our files.

 

[diamondn]

I am pretty sure the one auction we have sold through has the scanner set up as well. They rebuilt they back area two years ago in incorporated the scanner for the bar codes.

CCIA tags are now read by scanners in the auctions as well but when there is a off the ranch sale the bar codes are not all being transfered in a system anywhere.

Actually they're only being read by scanners at slaughter plants. Auction's it's just brands that we read. Some feedlots do also. A lot of it's for this age verification rather then trace back. Producers register tag numbers online with birthdates that go into the national databank so when they're run through the slaughter plant they can be varified under 30 months.

Like Oldtimer said, we also do better trace back by brands then the tags. The tags will only take it straight back to the farm that tagged them. We can usually trace it back through all the owners with our files.

 

[rockridgecattle]

if in Canada an animal is bought or sold off farm rather than the auction mart the animal id tag can be entered into the Age Verification (AV)web site where the animal can be tracked. so i the producer would list them on the site and the buyer would then list on the site that he bought those animals. I know there are flaws but there are flaws within any system. but it is better than nothing.
And oldtimer we, as a producer, keep well track of our animals, with the tag number on farm and on the AV website.
Each tag comes with a sticker with a bar code that can be placed beside the animal info in the cow/calf book or anywhere where you keep track of your animals.

 

[PeaceCountryCowboy]

I am pretty sure the one auction we have sold through has the scanner set up as well. They rebuilt they back area two years ago in incorporated the scanner for the bar codes.

CCIA tags are now read by scanners in the auctions as well but when there is a off the ranch sale the bar codes are not all being transfered in a system anywhere.

Actually they're only being read by scanners at slaughter plants. Auction's it's just brands that we read. Some feedlots do also. A lot of it's for this age verification rather then trace back. Producers register tag numbers online with birthdates that go into the national databank so when they're run through the slaughter plant they can be varified under 30 months.

Like Oldtimer said, we also do better trace back by brands then the tags. The tags will only take it straight back to the farm that tagged them. We can usually trace it back through all the owners with our files.

What auction is that?

 

[PeaceCountryCowboy]

Never mind, I see you have your brand on your website. GPLM built a new processing system and probably offers tag reading services but they don't do every animal going through the sale. The only requirement is that they are tagged, the auctionmart doesn't have to read it or scan it though.

 

[Beef11]

I think the ID system is a great idea, it creates marketing power and gives producers a chance to add value. I also think that it should be 100% voluntary and that the federal goverment should stay out of it. The private sector does everything better than the goverment.

The only thing worse than the goverment running it would be, other countries telling the goverment how to run it.

 

[Oldtimer]

I think the ID system is a great idea, it creates marketing power and gives producers a chance to add value. I also think that it should be 100% voluntary and that the federal goverment should stay out of it. The private sector does everything better than the goverment.

The only thing worse than the goverment running it would be, other countries telling the goverment how to run it.

I agree 100%-- and when the buyers/feeders/packers start paying me enough to pay for my cost/effort of doing the tagging, I'll gladly do it....

But right now the buyers/feeders that have been buying around here have been/are preferring and have been paying top prices for cattle that have hot iron brand ID's, brand inspection state certificate of proof of ownership/transfer, and signed affidavits of birth date period/origin/feed/shots/steroids etc....

But it don't look like we'll get that chance or the ability to try and get the Packers/Feeders to pay more for these type cattle-- our good old GUVMENT and USDA seem to think again that they know what is better for us :roll: and that they need to mandate this-- all the while out of the side of their mouths they keep saying its "voluntary"...

 

[tytower]

An important point on this .

We use hide compulsory registered brands -we must continue to brand.

We used to use a tail tag adhesive strip - we now don't have to

We now have to use the ear tag system NLIS


All of these are left on the slaughterhouse floor ! There is still no way of checking if any carcass has been swapped so no guarantee can be given to any other country who imports the beef boned or boneless?

 

[Oldtimer]

Here is the best explanation I have found for why Australia and the US are getting Mandatory ID forced upon us....Its all tied to a UN plan for the whole world promoted by the multinational Corporations.... :roll:


THE REAL REASON FOR ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION


Derry Brownfield
July 6, 2006
NewsWithViews.com
I try to instill in my listeners (the Derry Brownfield Radio Show) on a daily basis that the United States is no longer a sovereign nation. Practically everything that happens here, be it the Patriot Act -- National ID -- Sustainable Communities -- Gun Control -- or a host of other programs and projects that destroy our God-given freedom is happening in Australia, The European Union, New Zealand and in most of the free world. It is because these nations are linked together in a global economic ambush, by global corporations, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. Animal identification is being forced upon us because of documents our officials have signed tying us to certain international alliances.

Doreen Hannes ([email protected]) has written a white paper proving that Animal Identification was spawned by international entanglements. This article will quote some of the highlights of her paper.

The players involved in the National Identification System (NAIS) are varied. The world Trade Organization (WTO) reached an agreement among participating countries several years ago in Uruguay called the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements. The SPS agrees that each member country can make regulations that must be met by other member countries in order to TRADE IN AGRICULTURAL GOODS with each other. These regulations must be in the interest of the country making the regulations to protect that country from disease, pests, or perceived health dangers. The TBT says developed countries must help less developed countries advance technologically in order to trade with other member countries.

The OIE is a World Animal Health Organization similar to our USDA but on a global basis. The OIE is independent of the United Nations but works closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Codex Alimentarius, both of which are tied to the United Nations. Codex may be compared to our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a global basis. The United States has membership in both the OIE and the UN which puts us under the control of Codex. The OIE has authority over all member nations' veterinary services. The OIE has a publication available on line called the Terrestrial Animal Health Standards commission (TAHSC) which contains information regarding (traceability product tracing and Codex standards).

Page 41 of the TAHSC states there is a critical relationship between animal identification and the traceability of animal products. Animal Identification and traceability are key tools for animal health and food safety. TAHSC relates to vaccination programs, herd and flock management, zoning, surveillance, early response, and animal movement and health measures in order to facilitate trade. A quote from page 41, "the competent Authority in partnership with relevant government agencies and the private sector should establish a legal framework for the IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION AND ANIMAL TRACEABILITY in the country." The European Union declares that their animal identification requirements are in line with both Codex and the OIE.

Remember - the United States has signed documents with these member nations so we also are a member. As a member we must harmonize if we are to trade in agricultural goods. What if the United States refuses to implement a program of Animal Identification? World Trade Organization documents regarding the SPS and the TBT recommend disputes be mediated by the OIE or Codex.

It is plain and simple - this dictate is coming directly from the OIE - (world animal health organization) which is an off-shoot of the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization, and since the United States has signed documents creating membership in these foreign alliances, the US is obligated to create an Animal Identification program.

This is exactly what George Washington warned us against in 1796 when he gave his farewell address. Washington told us to "STEER CLEAR OF PERMANENT ALLIANCES WITH ANY PORTION OF THE FOREIGN WORLD." Thomas Jefferson stated during his 1801 Inaugural address, "ENTANGLING ALLIANCES WITH NONE." Our national leaders have forgotten American History and have us so entangled in foreign alliances that the noose is tightening around our economic neck and choking the life out of our sovereignty.

Doreen writes, "It is abundantly clear that through these international entanglements our officials are both legislating and regulating our God=Given and constitutionally guaranteed rights away in the name of international trade and globalization. These officials have agreed to implement a plan that is destructive to our nation's existence as well as our freedom to feed ourselves without intense surveillance. Is our freedom for sale in the global market? Is selling beef to Japan important enough to throw our Constitution and our children's future into the trash can? Can we not support ourselves agriculturally with the excellent controls we already have in place?"
© 2006 Derry Brownfield - All Rights Reserved


Derry Brownfield was born in 1932 and grew up during the depression. He is a farmer and a broadcaster. Derry attended the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri where he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees. He taught Vocational Agriculture several years before going to work as a Marketing Specialist with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Derry served as Director of the Kansas City Livestock Market Foundation at the Kansas City Stockyard prior to establishing himself in farm broadcasting.
Derry started farming when he was 16 years old and received the Future Farmers of America State Farmer degree in 1949. Since that time the Brownfield Farm has grown to over 1000 acres maintaining a herd of 200 registered Charolias cows.
In 1972, Derry and his partner established the Brownfield Network which now serves 250 radio stations throughout the Midwest with news and market information. In 1994, Derry started his own syndicated radio talk show and he is one of the most popular radio talk show hosts in America. The Derry Brownfield Show can be heard on approximately 80 radio stations in 23 states. With his entertaining sense of humor and witty commentary he has captured audiences for over 30 years. His ability to present an informative talk show while being light and colorful is why he has a large loyal listening audience.
Derry Brownfield is a practical farmer, a practical business man and a very entertaining speaker. He travels extensively throughout the country speaking about his common-sense point of view.
Web Site: http://www.derrybrownfield.com

 

[Oldtimer]

September 12, 2007

Member Visits Sister Organization in Australia;

Describes Aussie Animal ID Program as ‘Orwellian’



Note to Media: R-CALF USA National Membership Committee Co-Chair Joel Gill spent the last week in August ‘Down Under’ visiting members of our sister organization, the Australian Beef Association. His report is below. Gill also serves as the R-CALF USA Checkoff Committee Chair and is a cattle buyer based in Mississippi. To schedule an interview with Gill, or obtain a photo or bio of Gill, contact R-CALF USA Communications Coordinator Shae Dodson.



Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia â€" “G'Day,” was the greeting on everyone’s lips as I met each of the directors of R-CALF USA’s sister organization, the Australian Beef Association (ABA), at its meeting before the annual convention, held here on Aug. 28. The ABA was formed in 1997 to represent independent cattle producers across Australia in their fight to be heard by Parliament/Congress in their struggles against the forces of powerful abattoirs/packers, the Meat and Livestock Australia/CBB, and the cattle council/NCBA.



These men and women face the same struggles as R-CALF USA members do. They have stood strong with their one underpaid employee, Secretary Sally Black, as she worked to assist the unpaid board of 14 and the other willing volunteers to bring their membership to a little over 1,000. (With only 20 million people occupying a nation the size of the United States, ABA’s 1,000 members is about the same as R-CALF USA's 15,000 in a nation of 300 million citizens.)



It was uncanny how our two sagas meshed so well. While each of our groups seem to face issues at home, it became glaringly clear that it was actually rampant free trade agreements and the international corporations’ desires for the lowest-cost products that are our mutual foes.

One of the areas of concern these producers have is the unworkable nature of Australia’s National Livestock Identification System (NLIS), which became mandatory three years ago.


While not as comprehensive as our NAIS because NLIS covers only cattle, it was obvious that Australia’s NLIS is a nightmarish system of Orwellian proportions. Besides the information put forward in the presentations during ABA’s convention, discussions with individual ABA members brought home the message that the traceback system there is greatly flawed. Everyone had a story of varying tag retention rates in their animals â€" or beasts, as they call them. The few ABA members who stood up to the system by refusing to use the tags at first, told their tales of heavy fines levied and jail time threatened for non-compliance.


One of the ABA directors, Dr. Lee McNichol, a veterinarian, related how he had refused to use the tags and was fined $1,000 ($850 US), then spent another $20,000 appealing his conviction only to lose in the end. He showed me sheet after sheet attributing individual cattle to his pic (premises number) that he did not own. The database had it wrong. When McNichol questioned the compliance officer about this situation and pointed out the error, he was told that it was an administrative matter and could be quickly corrected as soon as the particular animals were moved or sold and thus re-scanned. At that time, the administrator would know where the animals were actually located and a correction could occur.



So much for accurate disease traceback.



Others told how the actual tag retention rate was around 70 percent to 82 percent â€" not anywhere close to the nearly 100 percent suggested by early data from U.S. animal identification projects as reported by USDA to U.S. producers about the effectiveness of the Australian system. Some of this excessive loss is due to poor application procedures of producers, but most is due to the net-type of fencing widely utilized by producers, which will snag and pull out the tags as the calves rub their heads in it. Far from receiving any kind of premium for participation, if tag replacement is needed, a new orange RFID tag will be inserted in the animal’s ear. All cattle with these orange ear tags receive a discount at sale because they no longer qualify as having “guaranteed lifetime traceability”. (The original tags are white.) These producers’ experiences should give each of us in R-CALF USA a boost to help us continue to energize our fight against NAIS.



Now that Australia is three years into the program, the truth is coming out. While there, the Australian agriculture ministers said several times that this system was crucial for “Assuring our trading partners of age and source verification.”



What happened to health traceback?



During my one-week stay, a true health crisis did arise. Equine influenza was discovered, which brought all movement of horses nationwide to a complete halt, much as would happen in the U.S. if a case of foot-and-mouth disease were detected in cattle. Horse racing, the third largest industry in Australia, was delayed nationwide, but ultimately reopened everywhere except the states of Queensland and New South Wales, which are still counting the costs of the suspension in the tens of millions of dollars, not only to the racing industry, but to the smaller supporting industries as well. The culprits turned out to be two horses imported from Japan that were improperly inspected. Outside imports ruined an economically important national industry.


Can anyone say Canadian BSE?