National Animal Identification System

In response to concerns about animal disease outbreaks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in December 2003 that it would implement a nation-wide program - later named the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) - to help producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to animal disease events in the United States.In this context, the author determined: how effectively USDA is implementing NAIS and, specifically, the key issues identified by livestock industry groups, market operators, state officials, and others; how USDA has distributed co-operative agreement funds to help states and industry prepare for NAIS and evaluated the agreements' results; and, what USDA and others estimate are the costs for USDA, states, and industry to implement NAIS. In conducting its work, the authors reviewed USDA documents; interviewed agency, industry, and state officials; and consulted 32 animal identification (ID) experts.