Article from Feedstuffs

By Sally Schuff

New funding for the troubled National Animal Identification System (NAIS) was dropped today from the fiscal 2010 spending bill. Agricultural appropriations subcommittee chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn), who has been a strong critic of how the U.S. Department of Agriculture has handled millions of dollars spent on the program, said "continued investments into the current NAIS are unwarranted" until USDA comes up with a better plan.

"After receiving $142 million in funding since fiscal year 2004, (USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service) has yet to put into operation an effective system that would provide needed animal health and livestock market benefits," she said.

DeLauro noted that USDA currently is conducting a series of NAIS listening sessions nationwide, and funding will be suspended until the conclusion of those sessions and until USDA "provides details as to how it will implement an effective ID system."