Posted 10-06-07
Digital Angel Snaps Up Livestock Order
Tuesday, October 2 2007
Minnesota's Digital Angel Corp., which makes identification,
location-tracking and condition-monitoring technology, announced today that it has received an order for 630,000 compliant
RFID tags valued at more than $600,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The cattle ear tags are for the USDA's National Animal Identification System
(NAIS) initiative.
Digital Angel Corporation Receives Over $600,000 Order From the USDA for
National Animal Identification System Preliminary Implementation of NAIS Underway
SO. ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Digital Angel Corporation (the “Companyâ€) (AMEX:DOC), an advanced
technology company in the field of rapid and accurate identification, location tracking and condition monitoring of high-value
assets, announced today that it has received an order for 630,000 compliant radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags
valued at more than $600,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the National Animal Identification
System (NAIS). The cattle ear tags will be used for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)/Veterinary
Services State-Federal Cooperative Disease control and eradication efforts in targeted, increased-risk geographic locations.
Barry M. Edelstein, interim President and CEO of Digital Angel, said, “This
prestigious order from the USDA exemplifies our expertise in providing
high-quality products at competitive prices. We were the first animal tag manufacturer to be designated as an Animal
Identification (AIN) tag manufacturer by the USDA, which signifies that our tagging system is capable of identifying
livestock with the unique, lifetime animal identification number that is being
established as a national standard through the NAIS. We are proud that we continue to be a provider of choice for the
USDA.â€
Since 1948 Digital Angel’s livestock tags have been utilized by ranchers
across the world not only to protect their property from theft or loss, but more
recently to control the spread of disease and improve herd management.
Following the December 2003 incident of Mad Cow Disease (Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy) in the state of Washington, the USDA initiated the development of a national animal identification program
for cattle, with a target completion date of 2008-2009. The NAIS, a cooperative program between state and federal
governments and the livestock industry to help trace, manage and eradicate animal diseases like Mad Cow Disease, Foot
and Mouth Disease, Pseudo-Rabies Disease and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome in pigs, is being run by APHIS.
APHIS launched the voluntary NAIS in 2004 with the premises registration system and is now continuing its advancement
by implementing the animal
identification component.
Under the NAIS, electronic ID (EID) devices must be approved by USDA. Digital
Angel has approval on its EID and transponder devices for livestock. The
Company will be submitting its new sheep and goat EID device for approval shortly.
Currently the USDA is entering into cooperative agreements to promote premise
registrations among producers. To-date approximately 410,000 producer
premises are registered. Although it is not mandatory for producers to ID their
livestock, USDA is utilizing premise ID and electronic identification for their
numerous disease control programs (brucellosis, tuberculosis, psuedorabies,
chronic wasting disease, etc.). The first use, which is the subject of the award
for the 630,000 EID tags, will be to control and trace brucellosis among cattle.
