Opinions of Those in Cattle, Swine, and Sheep Slaughtering and Rendering Sectors Regarding Aspects of the National Animal Identification System

Abstract

Opinions of those in the cattle, swine, and sheep slaughtering and rendering sectors were characterized regarding aspects of the National Animal Identification System. Across plants of all size categories, operators of 51, 46, 65, and 22% of cattle, swine, and sheep slaughtering and rendering plants, respectively, said they would now, voluntarily, submit animal termination records (ATR). By size category, however, too few operators of large cattle and swine slaughtering and rendering plants are willing to do so. There are preconditions that might make slaughtering and rendering plant operators more willing to voluntarily submit ATR; 79 to 88% would do so if radio frequency identification devices (cattle and sheep) and slap-tattoo or premises identification numbers (swine) were made mandatory. Only 22, 29, 29, and 14% of cattle, swine, and sheep slaughtering and rendering plant operators, respectively, would voluntarily pay a private database provider a fee to protect ATR data from the Freedom of Information Act, and 53, 25, 31, and 57%, respectively, of plant operators would—if ATR submission were made mandatory—send their ATR data through a private database provider if the fees were paid by the government. Support for mandatory animal identification (which would include submission of ATR) across small-, medium-, and large-sized plant categories was 47 to 80, 25 to 43, 25 to 100, and 100% for cattle, swine, and sheep slaughtering and rendering plant operators, respectively, if industry had to pay for it, but increased to 65 to 90, 64 to 75, 50 to 100, and 100% if the government would pay for it.