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contact information;

Bob Parker, information Chairman, Texas County Farm Bureau

417-457-6111

Texas County Farm Bureau Rejects Mandatory ID plan

The Texas County Farm Bureau Board voted to reject the Mandatory Animal ID system being proposed by the USDA. A resolution that was proposed by Bob Parker set off much debate over the proposed plan to ID all livestock and horses. Former Texas County Cattlemen's president Gerald Campbell and Local Veterinarian Dr. I. C. Keeney argued that the mandatory plan is needed to protect the nation's livestock industry.

The resolution reads as follows; Be it hereby resolved that the Texas County Farm Bureau Board does hereby reject the current proposal by USDA to make mandatory the implementation of the National Animal Identification system.

According to the USDA plan all livestock and horses must be Electronically identified by 2008 and all movements of livestock on or off of farms must be reported by 2009 with enforcement.

Longtime Dairy Farmer and Rancher Bob Parker explains why he proposed the resolution, '' I believe that we must reject the proposed plan. It requires all farms to be registered, all livestock and horses to be electronically identified as well as all movements of animals on and off farms. We currently have the systems in place to track animals as has just happened with the recent ''mad cow'' case in Alabama.'' Bob continues

''Sacrificing our freedoms for security is not a good trade off in my opinion. Our founding fathers knew the dangers of Government becoming too big. This plan is too intrusive, to costly, and will be devastating to small farmers and ranchers.''

The vote on the proposed resolution by the Texas County board was split, but came out in support of the resolution. Missouri Farm Bureau and American Farm Bureau both support a nation-wide plan for Animal Identification and American Farm Bureau recently voted in favor of making Animal ID Mandatory.