The plan for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) almost a year ago, calls for the identification and tracking of every farm animal using RFID and GPS technology for the stated purpose of containing diseases like mad cow.
Report Within 24 Hours
It also requires any farm or home that houses a single livestock animal to be registered with governmental agencies, and stipulates that any movement off the registered premises must be reported within 24 hours.
Devastating to Small Farmers
Many have complained that the plan requires livestock owners to pay for the identification out-of-pocket, as well as perform time-consuming reporting. This could have the effect of devastating small, local, and organic farmers, who would be unable to afford the costs.