Joelle Schelhaus (301) 734-0595
Jerry Redding (202) 720-4623
USDA ANNOUNCES COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FUNDS FOR NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2007--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is continuing outreach on the National Animal Identification System among small and economically disadvantaged producers with $1.8 million, as available, for cooperative agreements through 1890 historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, 1994 tribal land-grant colleges and universities, and tribal organizations.
“We are making steady progress toward 48-hour traceback, and I welcome the participation of these institutions in promoting increased awareness among small and economically disadvantaged producers,” said Bruce Knight, undersecretary for USDA’s marketing and regulatory programs.
The request for proposals (RFP) can be found at www.grants.gov. The RFP provides more detail about the cooperative agreements, including the process for developing and submitting proposals and the amount of funding available. USDA encourages all interested organizations to submit proposals for consideration before Thursday, Nov. 15. Additional information about the NAIS program, along with a link to the RFP, is available at www.usda.gov/nais.
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