Farmers are urged to check premises IDs at livestock sites

     The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship encourages all Iowa livestock farmers to make sure that all locations where they have livestock have a premises identification number (PIN) and to make sure their information is up-to-date.

     “Being able to quickly identify any and all premises during an animal disease outbreak is a vitally important step as we work to stop the spread of the disease,” said Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “We do want to assure farmers that all the information in the premises ID database is completely confidential and protected under federal law and can only be used for animal health purposes.”

     The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will be contacting livestock producers who have previously registered a premises in an effort to update the Iowa Premises Registration database of Premises Identification Numbers (PIN’s).

     Farmers are asked to respond to the letter and either confirm the information is correct or respond with their updated information. Counties that begin with “A” or “B” should receive their letters in October; those that begin with “C” will receive theirs in November.

     The Department will then continue alphabetically through the counties over the next several months.

     Farmers can complete or renew their premises registration by completing the form found on the Department’s website at http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/animalIndustry/pdf/premiseIDapp2.pdf and submitting the signed form to the Department.

     “Time spent finding unregistered premises during an outbreak is time we can’t focus on controlling the disease, so it is very important Iowa farmers take the time to register their premises and make sure all the information is up to date,” Naig said. “Producers also benefit by having a premises identification number before a disease outbreak occurs because the premises identification number is the key linchpin to all activities relating to that producer, such as notification that a producer may be in a control zone and tracking diagnostic information.”

     Iowa currently has more than 32,500 premises registered.

     A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about premises identification can be found on the Department’s webpage www.IowaAgriculture.gov under “Hot Topics.” Or, if farmers have questions they can contact the Department’s Animal ID Coordinator toll free at 888-778-7675 or by email at idals_id@iowaAgriculture.gov.

     More information is also available on the USDA’s Animal Disease Traceability Home Site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/.

 

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