The form is simple and easy to fill out. It will ask you for some contact information such as address and telephone number. It will also ask you for a user name and password. This is so that you can make contact changes to your information online.

     The form will also ask you to identify each premise that you have separately. That means that if you have three separate farms that are not connected, then you would need three separate premise numbers.

     You would still only have one "account" where your contact information is stored, but each farm or premise would have its own number corresponding to its address.

     The information you give on your premises registration form will be confidential; only the state veterinarian and his staff will have access to it, and it won't cost you anything. The premise number, like individual tag information, is voluntary at this time.

     All producers, however, are encouraged to go ahead and obtain this number. It is free, it contains no personal information other than contact information and address, and it will probably be mandatory at some point. One final comment on the premise I.D. is that all livestock owners need to fill out the form and get their I.D., whether they have cattle, goats, poultry or any of the other animals identified by the system as livestock.

     The system is a major step in the livestock industry. It will involve some work from each level of the industry, but the possible rewards are tremendous. The system will help us track any outbreak of disease in our livestock. This will allow us to control and possibly eliminate the spread of many of these diseases.

     It will open borders that have been closed. Japan has said it will resume trade with the United States if we show them that we can positively guarantee our cattle shipped to them are less than 21 months of age. The system could possibly do that in the future.

     A tracking system would also allow us to market cattle for a premium if a producer consistently produces a quality product. Through this program, calves are tagged with electronic I.D. tags and followed through production. This allows cattlemen to know what kind of animal he is producing without the risk of retained ownership.

     Finally, the system will help the American farmer continue to produce a safe and wholesome product that the American consumer has confidence in. Animal identification and tracking is one more way to protect us from bio terrorism, and help guarantee that we are not susceptible to attacks on our food supply.