SWINE AND BEEF CATTLE EAR TAG PROGRAM OFFERED BY WLIC

VERONA, Wis. (May 29, 2009) —The Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) announces the offer of its free official radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tag program for beef cattle producers, and free premises ID tags for pork producers in Wisconsin.

Together with the Wisconsin Pork Association (WPA) and Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association (WCA), WLIC will coordinate the distribution of official ID tags to livestock producers, for a limited time only.  All beef and pork producers are eligible to receive free USDA-approved identification tags while program supplies last and are encouraged to contact WLIC to take advantage of this opportunity and incorporate the tags into their herd management programs.

 “As a strong supporter of Wisconsin’s animal agriculture industry, we are trying to assist producers across all livestock industry segments to begin participation in a unified animal identification program,” says Robert Fourdraine, WLIC’s chief operating officer.  “With these tag programs, we hope to increase awareness of animal identification benefits from a disease control perspective, and also give producers first-hand experience with the additional management benefits of RFID, such as labor efficiency and added value for the producers’ products.”

  Earlier this year, a similar tag program successfully distributed 100,000 tags to dairy producers across the state.  Through this initiative, WLIC assisted producers by reducing initial RFID implementation costs and demonstrating herd management benefits of RFID technology, such as labor efficiency gains and record keeping error reduction.  

The mission of the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium is to create a secure, nationally-compatible livestock identification system for the purposes of protecting animal health, safeguarding market access, and offering opportunities to enhance the marketability of Wisconsin livestock products.  Representing more than 55 businesses, organizations and livestock-related associations, WLIC draws upon the collective strength of its diverse membership to help lead nationwide improvement and advancement in animal traceability.