Monday, January 23, 2006  Good Morning!

ScoringAg Offers Proven Livestock Tracking System (12/27/05 07:30)

OMAHA (DTN) -- According to a company release, ScoringAg's livestock tracking and traceback system provides a true traceback and traceup for livestock movement and activities in real time throughout the animal's life cycle -- from the original producer to the packinghouse, and if needed on to the final consumer. The key is ScoringAg's unique premises identification: PIDC is a precise location ID based on uniform premises codes for all locations throughout the world, wherever livestock are raised, grazed, harvested, processed, and shipped. ScoringAg's database provides for the linking of all other premises ID codes for all varying states and regions to accommodate livestock movement from one state and region to another, and all active locations nationwide and around the world. Instead of waiting for hours or days for animal health history -- which is the stated "goal" of the proposed NAIS animal ID consortium -- all field data updates, including those that are available on the animal's public page, are displayed instantly -- in real time -- as they occur, when and where the data is collected and uploaded -- in the field or in chutes at auctions, feedlots, packing plants, and elsewhere. The animal's public records page can also show other tags, brands or tattoos, or a photo of the animal if needed. This gives an additional means of animal ID when RFID ear tags are lost or stolen and only the animal's unique identifying characteristics can give positive ID. ScoringAg's Web-based databank uses its secure Internet interconnections and servers to provide real-time traceup and traceback, as well as complete traceability and animal movement history, to geographically diverse livestock groups -- from original producers through all production stages, using a system of checkpoints to account for tagged livestock as they move through the system. This traceup and traceback for agriculture and livestock entities and their products is secure and available to qualified users, from the producer to the consumer worldwide at all levels of the chain of custody, as required. ScoringAg's field data collection system records all animal activities with reference to its ID and current location. Actions taken on the animal, including such activities as birth, vaccination, medical treatment, feeding, sale, transport, etc. at each premises are recorded at the date and time that the actions occur, establishing a system of accountability in real time, to ensure compliance and the absolute identity of livestock within the system. All animal and livestock types are accounted for in ScoringAg, such as beef and dairy cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, and more, as well as a wide range of wild and domestic animals (for example, deer, elk, alpaca, ostrich, buffalo, poultry, fish, aquaculture, and more). All market and industry sectors are included within ScoringAg's system for a complete chain of custody in handling livestock: including producers, auction and market operators, direct and order buyers, feedlot operators, live animal transporters, packing plants, and wholesale and retail commodity operations. The Web-based system collects and records specific data; such as, the animal's RFID number, the premises number where that animal passed by an RFID reader with high-speed, wireless data transfer, and the exact time of the reading. The data in ScoringAg's database is then formatted for secure Web pages, for display on secure screens for authorized persons (in the state where the data was collected) within seconds, if required. This data collection and reporting system uses the national phone infrastructure to relay data in real time (whether within the range of cell towers or not) from the high-speed RFID ear tag reader to ScoringAg Web servers with speed, precision, and accuracy, at extremely low cost. For more information, go to www.ScoringAg.com.