The chart below represents the U.S. cattle industry's most comprehensive compilation of the who, what and wherefore of individual electronic animal identification (ID). The chart is the result of a painstaking survey conducted by Dale Blasi of Kansas State University as an aid to U.S. beef producers and the industry as it wrestles with a move toward a national animal identification plan.

The survey is a compilation of information provided by a total of 25 firms. Some deal in hardware — equipment such as tags, readers, scale heads, etc. Others deal primarily in the software that allows the accumulation and storage of the data collected by hardware, or a combination of both.

And still others are full-service providers that offer a one-stop shop of hardware, software and data storage.

The companies represented in the chart were asked to provide detailed information to an extensive survey developed by Blasi with input from BEEF magazine editorial staff. But this chart is barely the tip of the information iceberg, so to speak.

At www.beefstockerusa.org, a cooperative Web site venture between Kansas State University and BEEF magazine, you'll find an interactive version of this chart. That version offers a multitude of fields, details and specifications on each of the categories listed in this printed chart.

You'll find background on the companies, contact info and Web site links, their partners, goals and mission, detailed explanations of their offerings and specifications for use, compatible equipment, fees, and much more. Altogether, it's the most comprehensive effort ever done to help producers learn about what's available, and to compare and contrast the various offerings in assembling their individual ID strategies.