News Release

ID technology for animal agriculture to be featured at Chicago conference
 

Chicago, Ill. – Several hundred animal agriculture professionals from across the U.S. and abroad are arriving here this week to participate in ID/INFO EXPO 2004, a conference and trade show devoted to the issue of animal identification and information systems.  The event, facilitated by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA), is taking place at the Holiday Inn O’Hare International in Rosemont.

The EXPO will showcase a variety of animal ID manufacturers and information systems service providers during a trade show that will run concurrent to the three-day conference.  Thirty-five (35) vendors from the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. will be demonstrating their technologies.  Several companies have announced plans for unveiling new, state-of-the-art electronic technology that has been adapted for use in animal identification during this week’s event.

”This event could not be taking place at a more optimum time,” said NIAA President and Chief Executive Officer Glenn N. Slack.  “The establishment of a national system for animal identification in the United States has emerged as one of animal agriculture’s top priorities.  ID/INFO EXPO will provide a forum for finding solutions to the remaining issues that must be resolved before full implementation can be achieved.”

The EXPO will feature some of the latest advances in identification technology for animal agriculture, including radio frequency ID (RFID), DNA-based technology and retinal imaging as well as conventional identification methods such as ear tags.  

In addition to the trade show, ID/INFO EXPO 2004 will feature in-depth discussions on the proposed U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) and how it will support the framework of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) that Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced on April 27. USDA Under Secretary Bill Hawks, who oversees marketing and inspection programs for the agency, will be the keynote speaker at the opening general session on Wednesday to provide details of the agency’s plan for implementation of NAIS, scheduled to begin this summer.

“This unprecedented gathering of exhibitors clearly shows that the technology is available, with many options for animal owners,” said Slack.  NIAA hosted a similar event in 2002 with only 20 exhibitors.  NAIS will be “technology neutral,” according to USDA officials, to allow certain species and animal owners to use a product or system that best fits a particular industry or owner’s operation. 

Recent events in the U.S., such as the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) – also know as mad cow disease – in a Washington state dairy cow in December, and overseas, such as the massive outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the U.K. in 2002, have underscored the importance of establishing an effective, quick and reliable traceability system in this country.  “Whether it is identification of groups or individual animals, the ultimate goal is having an effective traceability system for animal agriculture,” said Slack.

#

Note to Media: List of ID/INFO EXPO 2004 exhibitors attached.

ID/INFO EXPO 2004 Exhibitors

AgInfoLink

Allflex USA, Inc.

APEIS

Beef Concepts, Inc.

Beef Information Exchange

Bloodhound Animal Identification System

Boontech Pty, Ltd.

Computer Sciences Corporation

Dalton ID Systems, Ltd.

DHI Computing Service, Inc.

Digital Angel Corporation

DynCom, Inc. – OmniPursuits

EAGALA/Personal Horse Registry

eMerge Interactive

Farms.com, Ltd. / PigCHAMP

Farnam Companies, Inc.

GlobalVetLink, LC

Global Animal Management, Inc.

National F.A.I.R.

I.D.ology

Ketchum Manufacturing, Inc.

Leader Products Pty, Ltd.

MetaFarms, Inc.

Micro Beef Technologies, Ltd.

MMI Genomics, Inc.

Optibrand, Ltd., LLC

Premier

Pyxis Genomics, Inc.

RMS Research Management Systems USA, Inc.

SAIC

SEQUENOM

SFK Technology, Inc.

True-Test, Inc.

Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium

Y-Tex Corporation