Livestock identification system urged
By Claire Parker
Staff writer
The Fayetteville Observer
Participation in a national animal identification system should be an option for farmers, not a federal requirement, U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes said Monday in Fayetteville.
Hayes said a volunteer system for tracking livestock benefits those in the farming and agriculture business.
"The system will add value to your product and will put more money into the agricultural community," Hayes said.
The congressman spoke at a town hall-style meeting at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
About 40 farmers, politicians and agriculture-related business people attended the question-and-answer session with Hayes and Charles Conner, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The identification system tracks animal movement from the farm to processing in an effort to contain potentially diseased livestock and prevent outbreaks, such as mad cow disease.
The program is still in development. Hayes said it will be available the first of next year.
A volunteer system will make the marketplace for beef, poultry and pork more competitive, thereby driving down costs, said Hayes, whose district includes part of Cumberland County.
"It's a value to them and it will up our standards for the global market," Hayes said.
Industy concern
Bundy Plyler, executive director of the N.C. Cattlemen's Association, said the state's beef industry is concerned that a mandated regulation could drive small cattlemen out of business.
"By nature, regulation causes consolidation, which means the biggest get bigger, and it makes it tough on the little guys," Plyler said.
The state has about 30,000 cattle farmers, said Plyler, making it an independent industry.
"We want to make sure that small producers can participate instead of getting out of the business," he said.
Keeping the system voluntary is the only way to do that, Plyler said.
Staff writer Claire Parker can be reached at parkerc@fayettevillenc.com or 486-3582.
