In order to compete in the 2008 Illinois and DuQuoin State Fairs, 4-H and FFA fairs (including horse racing at the state fairs and county fairs), the Illinois Department of Agriculture will require all competitors to register for a premises I.D. for the location where animals are kept. Premises registration is critical to protecting Illinois' livestock industry as it helps animal health officials minimize trace back times in the event of an animal disease outbreak.
All exhibitors will be required to record their premises ID on the fair entry form.
3. What if I don't have a premises ID at the time of making entries?
You can apply for one online or by mail. If you have applied, that can be noted on the entry form.
4. Who will have access to the premises ID information?
Only state and federal animal health officials will have access.
5. How does this relate to homeland security?
This is a 9-1-1 system to help animal health officials minimize trace back times in the event of an animal disease outbreak. The system will allow for quick responses to an outbreak to notify owners of any problems and to find livestock quickly so disease spread is minimized.
6. What if livestock that will be shown is kept at another location that doesn't have a premises ID?
We are asking all exhibitors to have a premises ID. The animal's location (911 address if available) is what is needed to be on the ID. Exhibitors will be responsible for obtaining the premises ID from the owner of the location.
7. What if I don't have a premises ID prior to coming to the fair? What if I don't know my number?
You can apply for one online or by filling out a form right then. That will be accepted. You can call 866-299-9256 and check. If you know your login and password, you can access it online at www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid. Those from other states can go to: http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/premises_id/register.shtml or contact their respective state's agriculture department.
8. I obtained my premises ID earlier in the year when I received a mailing about it. At the time, I listed horses as the only livestock on the premises. We have one pet rabbit in the barn, too. Do I need to add him to my premises ID online in order to show him at the fair for "My pet rabbit"?
Yes, you may make any changes or additions to your premises by going online to (www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid). Use the login and password that was issued to you in the letter you received in the mail, which included your premises ID card.
9. We own 5 horses, but we often lease a horse for showing at the county and state fairs. How do I go about getting the people who lease horses to me to get premises ids? Is there a set of instructions? Is there a way I can look them up on the web site to see if they already have an id?
New Premises ID numbers can be obtained by going on line at (www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid) or by filling out a paper form. Those forms, with brochures containing information about the program, have been widely distributed and can also be downloaded from the above website. You may also call IDOA at 1-866-299-9256 for assistance and/or brochures and registration forms. IDOA keeps confidential the premise information, so you will have to ask the owner of the premises for his number as you are not allowed to look it up on the website.
10. If I lease a horse from someone else for the year and board him at my barn, do I use my id or the id of the horse owner?
In that case, you would use your ID number.
11. If I lease a horse to someone else and keep him in my barn, do they use my id?
Yes, they would use your ID.
12. I own horses that I often board at a trainer's barn at various times of the year. Do I use my id or the trainer's id?
Preferably, use the location where it was housed just prior to the exhibition. However, either one would be acceptable because that would give us enough contact information to trace any disease of concern that may have been associated with an exhibition.
13. We show Hackney ponies in the MidWest Hackney Futurity at the State Fair. How does this new requirement apply to the ponies? How do we apply for a premises ID?
Since the Midwest Hackney Futurity is part of the Illinois State Fair's Society Horse Show, those showing in this event will be required to submit a premises identification number. New Premises ID numbers can be obtained by going on line at (www.agr.state.il.us/premiseid) or by filling out a paper form. Those forms, with brochures containing information about the program, have been widely distributed and can also be downloaded from the above website. You may also call IDOA at 1-866-299-9256 for assistance and/or brochures and registration forms.
14. Why did the IDOA decide to make this registration mandatory for these animals and 4-H exhibitors?
Premises registration is critical to protecting Illinois' livestock industry as it helps animal health officials minimize trace back times in the event of an animal disease outbreak. Exhibition is an extremely high risk movement as it involves the commingling of animals from several locations and then follows with the dissemination of these animals back home or on to another site.
15. How can we register in our county because we don't have 911 addresses? Can I register as a rural route address?It's all the address that we have.
If your county does not have 911 addresses, then the program will accept a rural route with a box number. If the premises is located at a location that does not have an address, complete the process to the point in which it says going to the "exception" process. At that point, the Department of Agriculture will complete the registration and send out notification.
16. Is this only the first step? What are they going to mandate next, the chips in the ears to track the animals?
Premises registration is the only part of NAIS that IDOA is strongly promoting at this time as we believe it to be a valuable animal health tool that does not add an additional cost to livestock production.
17. Who is going to pay the extra costs associated with funding this; when fair funding keeps being cut?
As the data bases are already in place, adding the premises identification number will take a minimal amount of extra work while providing additional protection to the livestock industry.
