Wrong Target

<a href="http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=622E4DEB-BC7E-5C54-61A44BA8E575CD19">Harkin won't rule out mandatory national animal ID</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>The farm bill may not be done yet, but that isn't stopping the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin from looking ahead. And he's looking ahead at a program that's proven controversial in the past.<br />n<br />nDuring a teleconference with reporters Thursday, Harkin said, even though much work remains to be done on the current farm bill, he's looking beyond that legislation to the issue of national animal identification. According to Harkin, the Westland/Hallmark beef recall, the largest in the nation’s history, shows the importance of having what he calls a "comprehensive" animal ID system that covers all animals and provides 48 hour traceback to the farm or ranch.<br />n<br />nAnd while that statement likely wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, Harkin didn't stop there. When pressed by reporters on the issue, Harkin wouldn't rule out Congressional action to make national animal ID mandatory.</blockquote><br />n<br />nHOW IN THE HELL WOULD MANDATORY ID HAVE HELPED IN THE WESTLAND/HALLMARK BEEF RECALL SENATOR HARKIN? Some plant employees abuse downer cattle and slaughter them and you want to track the critters back to the farmer? How would this have helped? <br />n<br />nMaybe the Senator doesn't realize the tracking capability of <acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym> ends on the kill room floor. All Animal ID is removed at this point and the meat becomes a generic product that is not tracked IN ANY WAY. <acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym> is not a farm to meat counter idea. It ends at the slaughter house. So can anyone tell me how mandatory animal ID would have helped in this situation? No ideas? I didn't think so, BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED.<br />n<br />nBy the Way, I do think farmers should be a little more careful and not ship cows to slaughter that are downers or appear to be sick enough they will become downers. This opinion does not excuse what happened at the Westland/Hallmark plant. It's a matter of personal ethics for me, but in no way can this situation be used to promote animal ID. It wouldn't have helped one bit.