In a development likely to please RFID makers greatly, the Department of Agriculture says a nationwide animal tracking system is necessary to fight diseases like Mad Cow (Creutzfeld Jakob Disease) and other livestock-borne health threats. Authorities are pushing for a system which would allow the government to have detailed information about the whereabouts of every animal in the country by 2009. The National Cattleman's Association wants a system which would limit access to "proprietary information" about members' holdings. Competing proposals are very low-tech (branding) and high-tech (RFID tags). Story