NIAA News Release

BOWLING GREEN, KY—While the program extends well beyond the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), the latest on that initiative will still be a key element of ID•INFO EXPO 2007 as Dr. John R. Clifford, the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Veterinary Services (USDA/APHIS/VS) outlines the recent NAIS developments and policies.

Dr. Clifford will be joined by a panel of experts in General Session II, Tuesday afternoon, August 28, including Ron Axelson of the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency, as they and others provide a general overview of current and planned regulatory and industry systems that provide disease, marketing and food safety traceability programs. Their discussion will cover what these systems mean to producers and how these programs can be made compatible across North America.

Altogether, more than thirty experts on the traceability aspects of all elements of animal identification will address ID•INFO EXPO 2007 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, August 28-30. In addition to the speaking program, nearly thirty companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations will have booths at the ever-informative tradeshow that is part of the event.

“Session V on Wednesday afternoon also shows great promise of providing valuable information,” states program Chairman Robert Fourdraine. The focus of this session is on how value can be created from traceability. This includes consumer aspects, gaining marketing advantages for the food animal industry and for the non-food livestock industries including equine. One of the speakers for this session is Wayne Fahsholtz, who is on the executive committee of Country Natural Beef, and whose company, Padlock Ranch Company, produces cattle, all receiving RFID tags, that are age and source verified.

Another one of the several panelists in this section is Lee Irvine of Airdrie, Alberta, Canada who works with Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Pharmaceuticals in developing and promoting the Express Verified program with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA).

“If you are involved in any aspect of animal identification in North America, this is a ‘must attend event,’” states program Vice-Chairman Glenn Fischer. “No where else can you find a broader, more in-depth explanation of what is going on with animal identification.”

For more information on ID•INFO EXPO 2007, to register for the event and/or to make hotel reservations go to www.animalagriculture.org.

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture provides a forum for building consensus and advancing solutions for animal agriculture and provides continuing education and communication linkages for animal agriculture professionals. NIAA is dedicated to programs that: work towards the eradication of disease that pose risk to the health of animals, wildlife and humans; promote a safe and wholesome from supply for our nation and abroad; and promote best practices in environmental stewardship, animal health and well-being. NIAA members represent all facets of animal agriculture.