There is growing interest in adopting electronic
animal identification services at livestock markets.
The National Animal Identification System
(NAIS) has provided broad recognition of the need
for, and supplied momentum for development
of, premises registration and associated animal
identification systems. Furthermore, specialized
marketing programs that target beef products to
particular customer markets, especially export trade,
are increasingly requiring individual animal identification.
Livestock markets are a major center for
cattle trade as 80 percent of feeder cattle sales occur
through local auction markets or video auctions. For
disease tracing and control reasons, animal identification
systems become especially important at the
time cattle are marketed. When an animal leaves its
farm or ranch of origin is when recording individual
animal identification and movement information
begins. Thus, it is likely that livestock auctions will
be a primary industry segment where animal identification
and movement information is electronically
recorded. Because of the high percentage of cattle
marketed through livestock markets, electronic
individual animal identification scanning may be an
important addition at auction facilities.
