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National Animal Identification System FAQs

1. What is the goal of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?
The goal of the National Animal Identification System is to have the capability through a federal, state, and industry partnership to identify all animals and premises that had direct contact with a foreign animal disease (FAD) within 48 hours after discovery.

2. Is the NAIS a voluntary or mandatory program?
Currently the NAIS is a voluntary program, however USDA may choose to make the program a mandatory program in the future.

3. How does it work?
There are three major components of NAIS

4. What is the definition of a Premise Identification Number (PIN)?
A unique number assigned by a Federal or state animal health authority to a premise that is in the judgment of the federal or state authority a geographically distinct location from other livestock production units. The premise identification number is associated with an address or legal land description and may be used in conjunction with a producers own livestock production numbering system to provide unique identification for an animal. The premise identification number may consist of;

5. How do I get a Premise Identification Number?
In order to receive a PIN, you must register with your state animal health department or state veterinarian. States may provide a website. Or for simplicity purposes, you may log on to the Micro Beef Technologies website at www.microbeef.com, click on the “My Micro Beef” button on the homepage, register username and password with the ACCU-TRAC® ON DEMAND! Web Portal, click on “Do you need a NAIS Premises Identification Number (PIN)?”, and click on the U.S. map for a link to the state in which you reside. Follow the instructions on the state website and fill out the required information, submit the form, the state will verify your information, and in turn issue you a PIN. (State requirements for what determines a premise and how or when a Premise Identification Number is issued may vary)

6. What if I have multiple premises, should I register each one or only have one PIN for all of them?
That is a decision you should make after consulting with you state animal health authority. Each state will establish their own criteria for registering premises and your state health official will be most qualified to help you determine the best alternative for your operation.

7. What if my property crosses state lines, do I register one premise or two?
Your state animal health authority will need to be consulted to determine what is best for your operation.

8. What if I have multiple properties in more than one state?
You will need to apply for a PIN in each state that you conduct operations.

9. Is my premise number a permanent identification number?
Yes, once registered, whether you are buying or selling a property, the PIN will be permanently associated with that property.

10. What else is required once I have my PIN?
If you are participating in the NAIS, you will be required to identify individual animals with a standardized identification method like Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID) or to identify non-commingled groups with a Group Identification Number (GIN). When you are moving your animals to a new premise, you will be required to report the movement of the individual animals or the group to the Official NAIS Database.

11. What is the Official NAIS Database?
The NAIS Official Database is a secure private-sector central database to which all Official Data are reported and confidentially stored for traceback purposes. The Official Database is used by the private sector to securely store Official Data for traceback. The following describes the uses of the Official NAIS Database.

Private Sector: The private sector established the Official Database, a private-sector central database, so that Official Data could be securely and confidentially stored on the national herd and be made available on all animals for real time commercial traces and tracebacks initiated by state and federal health officials. The Official Database is used by producers, Data Service Providers, and Data Trustees to generate real-time commerce reports for producers and processors in the normal buying and selling of animals. These Commerce Reports are critical verification and reconciliation records that confirm to both seller and buyer that the Official Data events were reported and are accurate for each animal or group. Producer data is kept confidential between the seller and buyer. Commerce Reports do not show the previous Premise information of individual animals or groups.

Health Officials: State and Federal health officials will have immediate access to the Official Database whenever they are conducting an animal health investigation. Health officials will pull data from the Official Database on target animals or premises and the cohorts of the target animals. Therefore, health officials receive the data they need in order to conduct disease eradication, perform surveillance, and monitor 48-hour traceback investigations without exposing confidential information associated with the healthy animals in the national herd.

12. What are NAIS Official Data?
Official Data are considered to be: Premise Identification Number, Animal Identification, Official Event Information, and Date and Time of the Official Events.

13. What are NAIS Official Events?

14. What do I need to do in order to begin participating in the NAIS?

15. What is a NAIS Data Service Provider (DSP)?
Data Service Providers are entities that work with producers to collect and report Official Data and are licensed to register that data with the NAIS Official Database. By utilizing common data sharing standards, Data Service Providers submit Official Data to the Official Database through a Data Trustee.

16. What are the costs involved with NAIS participation?
Industry leaders are still working to determine the costs that will be directly associated with the NAIS Official Database

17. What other costs will there be beyond the Official Database costs?
The costs will be variable and will include the costs of RFID tags, visual identification tags, readers, and Data Service Providers. One can expect RFID tags to cost between $.70 and $3.00 per head and software alternatives to range from less that one dollar per animal to $5.00 per animal depending on the system and services you require. There are many types of data capture tools available from Micro Beef Technologies from the fully-automated measurement and management systems to manual data collection alternatives for those using no technology. Contact a Micro Beef representative to determine the costs and systems best suited to your operation.

18. What if I want to change Data Service Providers (DSP) after I get started?
The Official Data that you have submitted will always be securely and privately held by your DSP in its Official Private Database regardless of who your DSP is. If you change DSP’s, you will still have full access to the information that you have submitted and can view historical information through any DSP assuming that the DSP you choose is a participant in the Official Database infrastructure.

19. What is a Data Trustee?
Data Trustees ensure that commercial data is not present in the Official Data record, reconciles the data for any discrepancies and submits the Official Data to the Official Database. Data Trustees are certified by USDA and routinely audited with oversight provided by potentially a combination of USDA, USAHA and species groups.

20. Where does the data I submit for NAIS compliance go?
Official Data is submitted as previously described and is securely and confidentially stored in the Private Sector Central Official Database.

21. What is the benefit of a private sector system?
Only about ½ of 1% of the national herd is affected by Foreign Animal Diseases annually. In order to safeguard animal agriculture, the NAIS is designed to enable US animal health officials to access the data they need in order to meets investigation and surveillance needs and conduct tracings of affected animals within 48 hours. In an effort to protect producer privacy concerns against unwanted data mining of the nation’s premise and animal information, and given that 99.5% of the national herd is healthy, a private sector solution works to meet the objectives of both industry and government. In order to accomplish the NAIS objectives, competing Data Service Providers are willing to work together to utilize common data sharing standards to advance and accelerate a low-cost implementation of the NAIS by creating a technical solution that meets the USDA’s needs while also protecting producer privacy concerns.

22. Who has access to my data and what data?
Only you have access to the specific data that you have submitted to the Official Database. If there are other data that you authorize to be shared, for example in a verification program, that data may be accessed by others. Without that authorization, your data remains confidential and secure in the ACCU-TRAC? Database and the Official Database. State and Federal health officials, when conducting an animal health traceback investigation, will access data concerning premises, the target animal, and the target animal’s cohorts by pulling Official Data from the Official Database. Health Officials receive those data necessary to carry out the investigation.

23. What about my commercial production data?
Commercial production data, like performance information etcetera, is separate from Official Data and not included in the NAIS database. Data Service Providers such as Micro Beef Technologies provide a number of commercial data systems products that enable you to make informed decisions about your herd and add value to increase the profits to your operation.

24. How do I access my data?
Micro Beef Technologies provides users access to NAIS data as well as commercial data if applicable through a web-based tool known as a portal and called the ACCU-TRAC® ON DEMAND! Web Portal. You can access ON DEMAND! at www.microbeef.com. Click on “My Micro Beef”, register, and log in! The portal is designed to provide you all of the tools you need to begin tracking your herd and sourcing health and identification products. It can be personalized for other information valuable to your business including news, markets, weather, and more extensive knowledge management such as data analysis tools.

25. Why should I work with Micro Beef Technologies?
Micro Beef Technologies is the pioneer in the field of individual animal management and has extensive tools for all levels of application. Known as the ACCU-TRAC? family of systems, these solutions have many capabilities that include everything from simple systems for NAIS data, source and process verification tools, and comprehensive individual animal management and decision-making for optimizing the profit of each individual animal. Talk to your Micro Beef representative about which system best fits your operation’s goals and objectives.

26. Does this system work for COOL?
The NAIS is not a County of Origin Labeling system. While there are some similarities in the two programs, the information requirements for NAIS and COOL are different.

27. What type of information will I get from an NAIS?
You will receive commerce reports from the Official Database that verify the premise, animal events, and animal identification information that you submit. These reports will be important between seller and buyer to verify that marketed animals are indeed part of the Official NAIS Database and have verifiable data. Commercial Production information will be stripped from the NAIS record and therefore will not be available to anyone through the NAIS. If you are interested in collecting or tracking additional information about your animals beyond the NAIS requirements, please contact your Micro Beef representative to learn more about the range of ACCU-TRAC? Systems available to you.

28. How will I know animals that I purchase have the records they need?
A buyer can request of his seller that he be provided a copy of confirmation reports that verify the animals being moved have records. And when you receive the animals at your premise, identify them, and submit a Move In Report to the Official Database. Micro Beef will submit the information and report back to you an official Move In Commerce report that provides the information you need to know to verify the animal’s traceback history.

29. What if I am not ready to participate right now?
Today, NAIS is a voluntary system and your participation is determined based upon whether or not you are ready to receive more value from your animals by participating in traceback and verification programs. At some point in the future, it is anticipated that the NAIS will become a mandatory program. So, participating now provides a head start for your operation and may also yield more value for your herd by providing verifiable information to fulfill retail or export program requirements.

30. How do I find out more about NAIS and Micro Beef?
You have numerous alternatives to keep up with the latest events. We suggest that first you go to the Micro Beef website at www.microbeef.com and login as an ACCU-TRAC® On Demand! User. Once you have registered with us, you can keep up with the NAIS development and news along with updates about Micro Beef systems, services, and programs. You can also select links to other sites like NCBA, USDA, USAIP, and others to keep up with current events. And you can always speak directly with a Micro Beef representative by contacting us at 806.372.2369 or e-mailing us at info@microbeef.com.