It is an exciting time for livestock identification. Many of the elements for bringing better livestock ID systems into play are now coming together in an unprecedented way.

For instance, the International Standards Organization (ISO) has agreed to technical and code standards for electronic identification of animals that will give direction and support to universal systems of livestock identification.

Various livestock groups and individuals within the livestock industry, which in the past have been reluctant to endorse animal ID fearing government mandated systems, are now openly advocating the development of better ID systems to respond to marketing, food safety and international trade demands.

The National Pork Producers Council, in cooperation with LCI and USDA, are actively working towards the development of a premise ID system that would take advantage of established state animal health programs with premise ID systems. Dr. John Weimers of the APHIS staff will be giving us a demonstration of this system later this morning.

The new National Cattlemen’s Beef Association long range plan is complete with references for the need for better livestock ID systems to respond to value based marketing schemes, international trade, etc.

About half of the sheep flocks enrolled in the voluntary scrapie flock certification program will soon be getting electronic ID implants under a USDA pilot project. Up to 10, 000 implant devices will be delivered to sheep producers enrolled in the certification program to encourage better recordkeeping and to assist in meeting the necessary inspection requirements under the program. Dr. Cleon Kimberling will be giving a presentation on this program in seminar session IV of the sheep health management committee.

The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding has established a universal ID numbering system they refer to as the American ID number which has been endorsed by the Holstein Association and the National Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Also these organizations have agreed to a plan of action they are calling Farm Animal Identification and Records, or F.A.I.R., that is intended to involve farm animal ID interest in developing plans for integrating the American ID number across various segments of the industry. Neil Hammerschmidt, Vice-Chairman of the LCI ID committee will be providing you with greater detail of the American ID numbering system and F.A.I.R. in just a moment.

Also, great strides in livestock ID, particularly EID, continue to be made in other parts of the world. The Canadian pilot study of EID in cattle is progressing well from what I understand from Matt Taylor of Alberta Ag-Canada. An EID company in Australia is pursuing with some considerable success in the use of a rumen ID device. And, Magtag International, A Danish EID company, has recently been formed to produce and deliver newly developed and patented EID technology for cattle under the ISO standards which will be used in connection with the official registration of cattle nationally.

And, last but not least, the LCI and USAHA ID committees have joined forces through joint ID work groups to explore all the various dimensions of livestock identification in the United States. Hopefully, these work groups will be able to reach a consensus on the means for eliminating barriers in the United States to universal systems of livestock identification, as well as work toward the development and implementation of systems of livestock ID that respond to current and future needs for the livestock industry, the animal, public health, the community and consumers.

I think we all realize that many of these latest developments in livestock ID still represent baby steps in the ID continuum. However, with these efforts and those to come in the immediate future on livestock ID, I’m convinced that we can expect these small steps to become giant leaps into the future.

This seminar will be the jumping off point for bringing you all up to date on some of these latest developments in livestock ID. Then in the next seminar we will break up into the three joint work groups in this room to begin the task of trying to make real our intentions to make giant strides in livestock ID as we enter the 21st century.

For any of you who are not on the work groups, but would like to sit in and observe their discussions, please feel free to do so.

Lastly, the ID committee will meet from 2: 30 to 3: 30 this afternoon to review resolutions from last year’s meeting and discuss revisions, deletions or new resolutions to be presented to the LCI board of directors on Friday morning. So, I would urge the committee members to be there to help in the resolution process.

Now, I’d like to turn the meeting over to the ID committee vice-chair, Neil Hammerschmidt, who has agreed to give us a short update on the ISO standards and discuss the American ID numbering system and F.A.I.R. adopted recently by his organization and other dairy breed groups