Camelid Working Group News Release |
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Camelid Working Group Provides ID Status Report to USDA The llama and alpaca community needs to be better informed about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) before a specific camelid identification plan can be recommended to the USDA by the Camelid Working Group (CWG), according to the CWG Status Report submitted to USDA the first week of September. The CWG includes representatives from most segments of the llama and alpaca community who are working with a USDA liaison to develop the camelid portion of the national identification plan that will help protect US animal agriculture from foreign or domestic disease threats. In addition to discussing the group’s progress in assessing the current status of the camelid industry, the CWG Status Report identifies issues that need to be addressed before a specific identification plan can be recommended for camelids. "We need to continue to educate our industry members about the NAIS, the benefits of the identification plan, the role of the CWG in developing a plan for camelids and the options available to the industry…We will also continue to evaluate microchips and other identification devices and to work with our registries and show associations to explore their willingness and ability to play an important role in tracking and reporting," the report states. |