Mandatory Animal ID = Lost Premiums

NoNAIS.org ^ | 2006-05-23 | Walter Jeffries

[pubwvj]

McDonald's is paying premiums, and Wal-Mart is making demands. And, with the impending reopening of the Japan market, we're likely to see premiums equaling those producers enjoyed last fall for source- and age-verified cattle. -Troy Marshall of Seed Stock Digest

If NAIS goes through McDonald's and other big buyers will stop paying premiums to farmers that offer Animal ID and Trace-Back. Everyone will be required to provide that service of trace-back so there will be no incentive for buyers who want trace-back to pay for it as stands with the existing market driven system. NAIS is a great way for McDonald's and Wal-Mart to save a lot of money. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, farmers will have to do all the work required to support trace-back without any compensation, increase in base price or premium for their beef. NAIS is a win-lose situation. McDonald's wins. The rest of us lose.

There is also no need for trace-back for farmers who sell direct to consumers or homesteaders raising meat for their own table. NAIS simply amounts to a hidden tax on food that will drive many small farmers and ranchers out of business. That is the last thing we need in this country, the consolidation of our food supply into the hands of fewer and fewer large corporate producers.

What we do need is a market driven, 100% voluntary system for trace-back. That way those who wish to pay a premium for it can buy from sellers who wish to supply it. That is good old capitalism at its best. There is no need for government involvement.

Premium(s): (1) The amount that a producer is charged for the purchase of crop insurance. A producer's premium depends on that producer's production history, the crop being covered, the county in which a covered crop is grown, and selection of coverage. Premiums are totally subsidized by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for catastrophic coverage and heavily subsidized for additional coverage. See Catastrophic coverage (CAT), and Crop insurance. (2) The additional payment allowed by an exchange regulation for delivery of higher-than-required standards or grades of a commodity against a futures contract. (3) The amount added to a nonrecourse marketing assistance loan on a per-unit basis, relevant to the location where the loan collateral is stored at the time the loan is made. (4) An extra payment above the base price for livestock. (5) An amount paid over and above the price-support loan rate to encourage producers not to forfeit commodities under loan to the Commodity Credit Corporation. (6) An upward adjustment to a median standardized sales or contract price due to superior quality. (7) The amount paid for milk in addition to the minimum regulated price. -National Ag Law Center

[snowsislander]

ping

[Calpernia]

I'm not even sure a voluntary NAIS is a good idea anymore. These people want all or nothing and are setting up coercisions to achieve it.

http://www.breederville.com/auction/forumtopic.php?topic=66&boardid=1

Tulsa, OK State Fair

The wether meat goats will get tagged with a Tulsa State Fair
tag/microchip, on the date they are nominated, either July 6 in
Chickasha, or July 7 in Tulsa. Also, the on the date they are
nominated we will take a DNA sample, (hair follicle).
If you have any other questions about nominating your wether meat
goats, please do not hesitate to contact me.



Contact info at link.

[Calpernia]

ping

[Calpernia]

In the UK, NAIS is called Defra.

They have a Smallholders Online Newsletter.

The below commentary is from their Smallholders Online Newsletter Number 159, 25 June, 2006


Welcome to newsletter number 159

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20 June, 2006

Dear Smallholders,
We have a home with an half acre garden and 6 acres of agricultural land. I belive it is a registered small holding (I seem to recal seeing something from Defra and we frequently get correspondance from them asking us to make various returns). We keep a few chickens (up to 30) for eggs an grow a fair amount of fruit and vegetables and want to expand this activity (more chickens, fruit and probably a few pigs and sheep). My questions are:

1) What are the benefits of being a registered small holding (or is more a case of having to be registered)?
2) How can I find out if we are registered (I have looked on Defras web site and cannot find any information). I would appreciate your comments.

Thank you
Andrew Libberton

Dear Andrew

The "benefit" of being registered is that you become subject to the full weight of bureaucratic nightmare that is DEFRA.

If you keep even one sheep, pig or other large livestock, it is a legal requirement to register. It sounds as though you may already be on the radar and if so, your correspondence from DEFRA should quote your holding number which looks something like this -

18/180/0810 (denotes county/parish/individual no.)

All agricultural land has been through a registration process over the past year with the Rural Land Registry, a branch of the Rural Payments Agency, as part of the Single Farm Payment Scheme. Your land should have been through this process and, if you own it, you should have been filling out umpteen forms like the rest of us! But the system is in such chaos that nothing surprises anyone anymore.

If you remain unsure, contact your regional DEFRA office (contact details from the phone book or DEFRA website) to find out - they should know if your land is registered or not.

Regards

Alan

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14 June 2006

Alan

Hi,
We live in Wales in the country. How much land do we need to claim subsidies as a 'small-holding' - we have the option to buy 2.7.acres and just wondering about options ?

Advice would be appreciated

Joy Kett

Hello Joy

The new "single farm payment scheme" has registered all agricultural land in the UK and all future payments will be based on that registry. If you buy a bit of land, it will almost certainly be registered and you should check that it has been registered before buying it.

There may be a minimum acreage on which you can claim - and to be honest, the few quid you'd get for 2.7 acres is unlikely to make much difference to your life. Smallholders don't live on subsidies, only large scale farmers do that!

Regards

Alan