The National Animal Identification System

Animal identification is not a new concept. Farmers and ranchers have been identifying their animals for centuries. With today's technology, the use of electronic identification (EID) for livestock has become more and more common, despite the contention related to the topic. The US government has proposed a system to help protect the nation's food supply, and it incorporates the use of EID along with a system to identify locations, or sources of animals (i.e. farms, auction barns, slaghter plants), which collectively are termed "premesis." Premesis ID, Animal ID, and Animal Tracing are the three components of USDA’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This system is a voluntary program designed to help protect the nation’s animal herds against a catastrophic disease outbreak, maintain consumer confidence by assuring a safe food supply and help maintain uninterrupted access to foreign markets. NAIS is the foundation and a vital first step to achieving these objectives. John Clifford, APHIS deputy administrator for veterinary services, is quoted as saying “Traceability is the key component to animal disease production – to find it quickly, control it and eradicate it. Traceability is vital to our disease response abilities”.

This web site is designed to provide information for Pennsylvania producers and other professionals working with animal agriculture in the areas of Electronic Animal ID, Premesis ID, and Animal Tracing. Other related topics include: Age and Source Verification, EID in Livestock Markets, and Small Animal Electronic Identification.

Please visit our Animal ID Resource Page for information about:

• Tags, Hardware and Software
• Herd Management programs and daily use of Animal ID
• Contacts
• Research
• Links
• Extension Resources

Before you get too deep -- you may want to visit our Glossary of EID Terms

Currently in the News

USDA Purchases Electronic ID Tags to Advance Animal Disease Control Capability (10/19/2007)

Recent News About NAIS. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service