March 16, 2009
To The Honorable David Scott
Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
1301 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515-6001
From: Darol Dickinson
Wednesday I listened with attentiveness to the “Public Hearing” on NAIS. I respectfully was sickened by the flawed information presented by the USDA to members of the committee. I was equally nauseated by the choice of “briefers” USDA had chosen to inform members of the Senate and Congress about NAIS prior to the hearing. Please share these points with your associates who are considering making a decision on NAIS that will adversely affect livestock producers from the smallest up to the largest operations for the rest of our lives.
1) NAIS proposes 48 hour trace back; it would not change food safety. Every human sickness from meat products is caused by incorrect processing, which are stamped and approved by USDA inspectors. Nothing before slaughter is detrimental to human health. The proposed NAIS ends before slaughter.
2) USDA presented NAIS as an important issue that must be dealt with promptly. That is not true. There is no urgency, no need, no rush and no value.
3) At this time the USA has the most disease free livestock in the world and the safest food. The system used by the once dedicated USDA has and will safely serve the nation. It is not out dated as you were falsely told. US private enterprise herd health is the professional example to the world.
4) As per written testimony presented to you by Dr. Thornsberry, 47 states do not have a recorded case of any reportable livestock disease at this time. This is the lowest disease of record since Washington Prayed at Valley Forge. The current disease issue is minuscule. Future unknown disease will be even less, contrary to what you were told.
5) The only reportable disease is in Michigan, Minnesota and Yellow Stone. All are a result of government wildlife spreading disease to domestic livestock. Nothing in NAIS forces the government to comply with NAIS. Until the states and the federal government deal with their own disease it is a scam to force expensive unnecessary compliance on the private sector.
6) The USDA has briefed your elected leaders with “flawed data.” You were told that 35% of the livestock property owners have voluntarily enrolled in NAIS. The USDA was not correct. They have reduced their own 2007 census numbers of farms by 2,500,000 farms to impress you to believe they are succeeding in enrollments. Check it yourself, or I can tell you who to call at NASS to get honest data. The real NAIS number is less than 10% enrollment. It has been the most expensive enrollment of private property in world history.
7) The reason NAIS property enrollment is zip, livestock people don’t trust USDA or the government. We are scared of you. You have us scared to death with talk of mandatory NAIS!!
8) Our elected officials are surrounded by people who don’t understand the livestock business. There are 3,000,000 livestock producers in the US who can tell you why they have not signed up for NAIS. Only 2 were allowed to testify last Wednesday.
9) You have been told the US must comply with World Trade Treaties to export livestock. You have been told exporting is imperative for good cattle prices in the US. You have not been told that beef, like oil, must be imported to feed the nation. The US is a net beef import nation and has not for dozens of years produced enough beef to feed the nation. USDA has not told you the truth! Call NASS and get the true data. USDA should use correct data!
10) The one time cost of NAIS compliance as proposed, will be over $30 per animal for a herd of 50 animals. USDA has given you false costs per animal using amortization rates for hundreds of units which represents only the nation’s few largest producers.
11) Due to the low profit margin, high cost of farm land, increasing competition with government for farm labor and vicious property taxes, nearly 2000 ranches are going out of business per month and have for dozens of years.
12) NAIS, as proposed will take the total income from the average farm for livestock production—take it all. USDA has given you flawed information as to the positive things of NAIS and not told you the negatives. Either they don’t know or don’t care that NAIS will devastate the economics of agriculture in the US.
13) Disease has been villainized by USDA to scare elected officials. All livestock producers deal with disease in many forms and know how to handle it without government assistance. We already successfully do this.
14) You have been told that Hoof and Mouth disease would devastate the nation’s beef business. That is flawed data. Hoof and Mouth does not affect people and does not destroy cattle. It is a skin disease and the meat from H & M positive cattle is consumable and would pass USDA meat inspection.
15) If disease is as serious as USDA alleges, why don’t they invest in vaccines for prevention, instead of a costly 48 hour trace back? Answer, USDA leaders don’t understand the livestock business. Never has an ear tag stopped any infection.
16) USDA has underestimated the magnitude of NAIS clerical cost in relation to value received. The US census provides numbers to indicate over 2.3 billion critters in the US would require NAIS compliance.
17) Reliable data indicates the average bovine in the normal course of commerce has 8 owners during their earthly intact existence. NAIS would require a computer entry for each owner movement or transfer. Within 3 years the US NAIS numbers would more than equal the census of the earth’s human population. This breadth of costs does not justify the value.
18) USDA has failed to brief elected leaders that all states currently have animal transport laws in place with stringent penalties. No animal can cross any state line without a USDA certified veterinarian certificate and visual inspection paid for by the animal owner. All interstate transit is documented now. The owner, state of entry and state of departure are required by USDA to receive originals of this certificate. NAIS would be redundant and add to already existing enforcements.
19) USDA has briefed law makers of their fear of commingling as a disease transmittal explosion. From the earliest history of the nation livestock commingling events like rodeos, horse races and state fairs have not caused a problem due to health inspection rules by certified USDA veterinarians. These enforcements are now in place that have served the nation perfectly well.
20) USDA briefings have disregarded the great commitment private enterprise has contributed by scientifically providing vaccinations and health medications to deal with disease. These vaccines are more available in the US than any country in the world, therefore enabling livestock owners to maintain herds in excellent health without government assistance.
21) USDA has failed to brief law makers that the US is blessed with the most professional veterinarians of any country. All livestock disease is promptly identified on a local personal basis. USDA requires licensed veterinarians to report all diseases immediately to state USDA authorities. It is overkill to add to this current working system.
21) USDA will enforce NAIS with barbaric IES tactics. The recent combative raids on farms with fines proposed up to $500,000 have livestock producers trembling. The USDA’s IES has no valid oversight and no limit for their draconian enforcement. Gestapo tactics is a nice word for IES vicious conduct.
22) A June 2008 independent poll by Western Horseman magazine recorded thousands of online votes with 93.3% of livestock producers opposed to NAIS. This is why it has cost millions for USDA to get volunteer enrollment. Livestock producers don’t want anything to do with NAIS.
23) Testimony to your committee from a person outside the US indicated the burden on producers had not caused people to go broke. Michigan, a NAIS mandatory state fines people $5000 for not enrolling property. Farmers are liquidating Michigan land and moving to non mandatory NAIS states. One farm family moved to Belize to escape USDA assault. Thousands of Michigan farms are for sale this minute. People do not know where to escape to!
24) USDA has presented flawed testimony with quasi concern for animal health, safe food and export. USDA is concerned only with federal funding, USDA budget expansion, and USDA salary increases.
25) A prominent Ag Journalist wrote that if NAIS becomes mandatory the main USDA budget item will be incarceration and prison construction to contain all the farmers who refuse NAIS surrender.
Please share this information with your voting associates. I am available to substantiate all of the above information. Please do not destroy us with mandatory NAIS.
Darol Dickinson, Barnesville, Ohio USA, 740 758 5050
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Tags: livestock tracking, NAIS, Premises registration, war on farmers