Wyoming Livestock Board
Premises Identification Program
In order to protect and secure our nation’s agricultural resources and products, the USDA has initiated the implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The NAIS will promote the quick recognition, containment, and eradication of animal disease outbreaks which threaten our country’s food supply and agricultural economies. The NAIS database will help protect against the threat of bio-terrorism and any emerging domestic animal diseases. The program trace all animals and premises within a 48-hour time frame. According to the USDA, this program will also help preserve the domestic and international marketability of our nation’s animals and animal products.
To attain the 48-hour trace back objective, the movement of individual animals and herds will be recorded and organized into an efficient database. Essential information required for an effective infrastructure for this identification program at both the federal and state level will include the following:
· A uniform premises identification system
· A uniform nationally recognizable numbering system for individual animal identification
· A uniform nationally recognizable numbering system for a group or lot of animals (known as group/lot identification)
· A uniform numbering system for non-producing participants
This identification information will then be stored in a secured central database, called the National Premises Repository, which will be closely linked with each state's premises databases. The states will be responsible for collecting, verifying, and maintaining all the information uploaded into the National Premises Repository. Each state will retain these records for 20 years. Identification devices like radio frequency ear tags will be utilized to ensure accuracy and easy detection. It is anticipated that both the government and industry will share the cost of these necessary identification elements. Return to top.
As part of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), premise identification will be required. According to the NAIS, a premise is defined in the following terms:
“A premise is an identifiable physical location that, in the judgment of the State Animal Health Official or Area Veterinarian in Charge, and when appropriate in consultation with the affected producer, represents a unique and describable geographic entity (where activity affecting the health and /or trace ability of food producing animals may occur) or represents the producer contact location when extensive grazing operations exist.”
In summary, each state veterinarian's office will be responsible in determining and defining premises under its purview. The definition of premises encompass farms, ranches, feed yards, auction barns, and livestock exhibitions and fair sites. Each entity that participates in animal production and/or commerce will be designated a unique seven-character premises identification number. The premises identification will allow officials the capabilities of tracking an animal’s location at a specific period of time. Furthermore, the premises identification system will retain information on the animal’s or group/lot unit of animals’ date of birth or origins and movement between different locations. This information will continue to be reported throughout the animal’s entire lifespan with the use of the premises identification number. As stated above, Premises ID will begin by July 2005 on a voluntary basis. Return to top.
Responsibilities of the State
The maintenance, management, and organization of the premises system is the duty of each state's animal health officials. In Wyoming this is the Wyoming Livestock Board. The Wyoming premises database is currently being developed through software obtained from the cooperative agreement with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and should be functional after June 1st 2005. The state will be responsible in linking this database to the National Premises Repository, or central database. The National Premises Allocator will then issue a nationally unique premises number for those premises in that states’ jurisdiction or geographical area.
The owner of the premises must register their locations and keep their information current with the state. All the premises information will be kept confidential and will only be accessible to authorized federal, state, and tribal animal health and public health officials.
Locations that produce a variety of species will have one unique premises identification number. Producers that have more than one noncontiguous parcel of land will be allowed to have additional premises if they choose. Locations that are sold intact will retain the same premises number. New and revised premises information will be electronically uploaded to the National Premises Repository from the state database. The National Premises Repository is considered the “master database” that provides immediate validation of premises.
Premises owners may choose to provide additional information to improve response time in the case of disease event. This information will likely include anything from an address, phone number, GPS coordinates, contact information, etc. Hence this information will allow animal health officials to quickly contact the person associated with the premises being investigated during a trace back situation. The state will also report animal interstate movement to the National Identification Database.
Responsibilities of the USDA
The USDA will provide the Premises Allocator Program, the National Premises Repository, and the National Animal Identification Database. The Premises Allocator Program will assign unique premises numbers to an address or legal land description through their secured website. The four key pieces of information that will be stored in the national animal records repository include the animal identification number (AIN) or group/lot identification number (GIN); premises identification number (PIN), date of the event, and event type (i.e. movement in, movement out, sighting of an animal at a location, termination, etc.)
Currently the plan would affect domestic cattle, bison, swine, sheep, goats, cervids (deer and elk, equine, poultry, game birds, aquaculture, camelids (llamas, alpacas, etc.), ratites (ostriches, emus, etc.)
Please note that NAIS will be phase in by implementing three stages. In the first phase, the premises identification program will be implemented by July 2005. Premises registration is a voluntary program.. Premises applications will be available to vet clinics, county extension offices, sales barns, and brand inspectors; premises numbers will be assigned at assembly points, markets, and processing plants. Phase two will be the individual animal and group/lots identification. Finally in phase three, the tracking markets and processing plants will begin tracing animals through commerce. Return to top.
These participants in the production system will submit information pertaining to animal and premises identification to the state database. A non-producer participant is considered to be market intermediaries, slaughter plants, vet clinics, etc. The data provided from the non-producer will be associated with their non-producer participant number so that the integrity and accuracy of the established information in the database can be maintained and verified. The USDA will be in charge of allocating the unique non-producer participant numbers to each entity or individual. Entities that may be considered non-producer participants include USAIN (US Identification Numbering System) tag distributors, animal health officials (accredited veterinarians), the diagnostic laboratories, etc. The non-producer participant number will also be a seven character ID number. Return to top.
Two types of animal identification programs will characterize the program: individual animal identification and group/lot identification. The individual animal identification will be used for tracing animals that commingle or inter-mix with animals outside the production system of origin. Group/lot identification will identify groups of animals that are formed from the same production system and remain a distinct group throughout their life. Tracking of group/lot identification is achieved through recording group movements. Once a group/lot animal associates or commingles with animals outside its production system, it is required to obtain a unique individual animal identification. In other words, units of animals that remain within the same herd or group from birth are given group/lot identification numbers while animals that will mix with other outside animals will obtain an animal identification number. Return to top.
Individual Animal Identification Numbers (AIN)
To achieve a successful national identification system, individual animal identification is key to a successful and effective national animal ID system. This numbering system will link a fifteen-digit alphanumeric individual animal identification number with the USDA's uniform national code and the premises identification. Eventually, the use of the animal identification number will be mandatory. Return to top.
Group/Lot Identification Numbers (GIN)
When a production system manages a group or a collective number of animals that remain together throughout their lifespan, group/lot identification may be used. In contrast to individual identification, group identifiers and production records will be used to track the movement of the animals. Production records will contain the following information: the date the group was created, number of head, premise of origin removal date and type (sale, transfers, loss and death), destination premises, and inventory reconciliation. These records will be kept at the local level for two years after the group “retires” or ends.
The national central database will require a unique group/lot identification number to be associated with the group of animals. To acquire group/lot identification, the producer must prove to state animal health officials that group/lot identification and production system records will allow for a 48-hour trace back. The group/lot identification method will be available to most species.
Unlike the animal identification number, the group/lot identification number will be composed of thirteen characters. The group/lot identification number will include the National Premises Identification number for the initial location of the group and a six-digit number representing the date the group was initially formed. Requirements for reporting the movements of animals under the group/lot identification in the national animal tracking information repository has not yet been established. Return to top.
Individual animal identification requires that an appropriate device that features an identification number or an electronically encoded numbered chip be attached to the animal. The official US logo and full official number must be visible on the devise used. Other information or numbers on the device used by the producer or state will be allowed as long as it doesn’t inhibit the readability of the official US logo and number.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Tags
The RFID tags under the provisions of International Standards Organization (ISO), are currently the preference identification devices of the USAIP; Wyoming will be utilizing these devices in our animal identification pilot programs. Eventually, DNA, retinal identification, and other biometric identification methods will possibly replace or supplement the RFID tagging method.
The RFID tags are advancing technology that consists of a miniscule microchip, which in some cases is half the size of a grain of sand. Inscribed in the RFID tag will be the three-digit country code and the twelve digit animal number. These numbers will coordinate with the transponder. Most RFID tags utilize power from the tag reader's initial radio signal to transmit their response; therefore, they require no batteries.
To ensure the visibility and attachment of the tag, USAIP is considering making the official RFID tag a distinct color like neon pink. Official RFID ear tags will be distributed among qualified persons and organizations that are certified by the USDA. Unauthorized selling and providing of an official tag is prohibited by federal law. A technical committee will be in charge of accrediting tags for use in this program. Tag accreditation will be established upon “species appropriate evaluations” and will be consistent with the success of tag laboratory and field testing. Some of the performance standards for the tags already set forth by the USAIP include:
· Tags will be tamper proof by which the tag numbers can’t be altered. Tampering with tag numbers is against federal law and will be enforced by federal animal health authorities.
· Official numbers encoded in each transponder must not have the ability to be changed.
· Tags shouldn’t chemically contaminate meat, damage the animal’s hide, or have an adverse impact on the animal’s health after attaching the devise.
· Physical deterioration to the tag shouldn’t become apparent. Ultraviolet rays, rain, heat/cold or other significant environmental effects shouldn't change the tag in any way.
· When properly applied, the average tag loss shouldn’t exceed more than 1% per year after insertion.
· The printing and tag color of the official logo, lettering and numbers are to remain readable for the expected lifetime of the tag
· The minimum height of the numbers/letters is to be 5 mm. The minimum height and width of the official logo is to be 5 mm.
· Only approved devices for the National Identification System will use the US logo.
Application of the tag will be the responsibility of the animal’s owner. The USAIP will encourage the use of a second tag in conjunction with the official RFID tag for better management. In the event that the official tag is lost, the second tag could be used as reference to the producer to fall back on.
Copyright 2005 WLSB All rights reserved.
Last Updated:03/11/2013