Keep NAIS out of the Farm Bill

Action Needed on Animal ID!!!
Last week, the Senate Agricultural Committee voted their version of the 2007 Farm Bill out of committee. It will be debated and voted on by the full Senate next week (Nov. 5th-Nov. 9th). The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is an issue of major concern to family farmers and rural communities and must be addressed on the Senate floor.

Please Call Today!!

Please call Senators McCaskill and Harkin on Animal ID today!

National Animal Identification System (NAIS):
In the Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill, Senator Harkin (IA) included Section 10305, which defines NAIS and provides exceptions from public disclosure for information collected under NAIS. Unfortunately, this section defines NAIS as any system for identifying or tracing animals that is established by the Secretary of Agriculture. Section 10305 gives legitimacy to a program that has never been authorized by Congress and which the USDA has been proceeding with despite widespread resistance among family farmers and ranchers. Already, the USDA has been very underhanded in using existing disease programs and enrolling people in NAIS databases without their consent. This is one of the most important issues facing farmers today. Without your phone calls the NAIS section will pass with no debate.
Please Call!!

Senator Claire McCaskill (202) 224-6154: ask for Nichole Distefano
Senator Tom Harkin (202) 224-3254: ask for John Ferrell

Message:
· Take Section 10305 out of the Farm Bill because it implies approval of USDA's implementation of NAIS. USDA has clearly shown that they will use underhanded, deceptive and unethical practices in order to force farmers into the program.
· Section 10305 also provides false reassurance that the information in the databases will be confidential, when experience has shown that information in databases is vulnerable to both hackers and marketing misuse.
· Tell Senator McCaskill that we need a REAL debate about Animal ID in the Senate.
NAIS will drive independent ranches and farms in the US out of business.
· NAIS creates an undue economic burden on producers, does not include identification of imported meats, does nothing to increase consumer choice or confidence and expands packers’ ability to unfairly discriminate against independent family farmers.
· Missouri’s Family Farmers believe it is extremely important to ensure consumer confidence in the safety and health of the U.S. food supply while at the same time ensuring the economic viability of independent livestock producers. However, NAIS does not meet the needs of producers or consumers.

Your Call Can Make the Difference between Congressional Approval of NAIS and a True Debate about the Negative Impacts of this Program!