Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2005
ViaGen and AgInfoLink Join Forces to Make Beef Genetic Information Widely Available through Internet-Based System
Product Will Help Industry Comply with Upcoming USDA Animal Identification Standards
Austin, Texas — Livestock genomics innovator ViaGen, Inc. and leading agricultural information management systems provider AgInfoLink are partnering to develop a massive data storage system for producers and feedlot managers to keep track of the genetic and production information for their livestock. The new web-based system, which will be available by the end of the summer, will allow producers, ranchers, feedlot managers and others associated with the beef industry to collect, sort, analyze and store genetic information instantly, permitting them to address enormous changes taking place in the market.
For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced their proposed requirements for individual animal identification which may become mandatory at some future date. The ViaGen/AgInfoLink program meets or exceeds USDA’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS) proposed requirements for animal identification and tracking. The ViaGen/AgInfoLink program offers documentation of age and source verification information being demanded in the marketplace today. An increasing number of retailers, including McDonald’s, require that beef be traceable back to its herd of origin. Japanese and other foreign markets are demanding age verification as a condition of reopening their markets to beef US exports.
“Genetic tests allow ranchers to replace guessing with certainty,” said Dr. Sara Davis, President of ViaGen. “Producers who can definitively pinpoint characteristics about their animals can command higher market prices. The new system will permit breeders, feeders and buyers to instantly access and share information about breed, age, parentage and herd of origin.”
“We’re delighted to partner with ViaGen on this important tool,” said Mark Armentrout, AgInfoLink’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are pleased that our data collection solutions and our secure information integration products are being used to help shape animal traceability and identification systems.”
The web-based data system provides storage and dissemination for ViaGen’s genetic tests and programs. Tests include: AnguSure verification for branded beef labels, Inducator analysis of Brahman composition, BreedSure and KwikBreed confirmation of breed classification and Parentage matching of offspring and sire/dam. Programs based on these tests are available for animals from a common source, mixed groups of cattle and for herds of crossbred animals. Beef from cattle that have been genetically verified using ViaGen’s tests is already being sold in more than 900 grocery stores nationwide. In addition, the system will provide cattle producers reporting tools to better manage their herds including production summaries and feedback from feedlots and packers.
About ViaGen, Inc. (www.ViaGen.com): Based in Austin Texas, ViaGen is a global provider of advanced livestock genetic technologies whose unmatched expertise in animal genomics is setting new standards for high quality animals and high quality consumer products. ViaGen’s industryleading compilation of livestock genomic data and patented breeding and product identification processes are extensively used in the cattle, pork and seafood industries to obtain verifiably superior genetics. ViaGen makes livestock genetic technology affordable and accessible to producers throughout the livestock production chain, from farm to fork, offering new opportunities for businesses to build revenue and for consumers to enjoy unprecedented quality and safety. ViaGen is a subsidiary of Exeter Life Sciences, based in Phoenix, Arizona.
About AgInfoLink (www.aginfolink.com): Founded in 1997, AgInfoLink designs and develops secure, high quality, low-cost traceability tools for the world’s food supply. The company’s products provides the food industry with data collection, secure data transmission, data warehousing, reporting and analysis tools for increasing profits and reducing risk. AgInfoLink’s technology solutions allow agribusinesses to collect, transfer, share, extract, transform and report on information from individual units of production throughout the entire food supply chain. By providing the tools to manage individual production units, rather than aggregating products into groups, AgInfoLink Global has provided customers increased efficiencies, increased commodity value, and advanced “value traceability” from the farm to the table. AgInfoLink is based in Austin, Texas.
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