USDA to enhance animal traceability with amendment proposal

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to amend its domestic livestock regulations in order to enhance the traceability of animals in US.

 

These proposed changes would create greater standardisation and uniformity of official numbering systems and ear-tags used in both animal disease programmes and the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

 

USDA is proposing to recognise only animal identification numbers (AINs) beginning with the 840 prefix, which represents the US country code, as official for use on ear-tags applied to animals born on or after one year or more after the finalisation of this rule.

 

AINs with US and manufacturer code prefixes imprinted on the ear-tags would no longer be recognised as official identification numbers for such animals.

 

An interim rule prohibits the use of 840 AINs on animals born outside of the US.

 

These include the National Uniform Eartagging System and premises-based numbering systems that combines a premises identification number (PIN) with a producer's livestock production numbering system.

 

USDA is also proposing to require, on or after the effective date of this rule, that all new PINs use the seven-character alphanumeric code format instead of the state postal abbreviation.

 

Finally, USDA is proposing several changes pertaining to the use of the US shield on official ear-tags, numbering systems that use such ear-tags and the correlation of those numbering systems with the PIN.

 

This would require both AIN tags and official identification tags used in disease programmes to be issued to premises that have valid PINs.

 

In the NAIS business plan, its immediate focus is on increasing the quantity of animals identified and traceable to their premises of origin, especially in the sectors with the lowest existing traceability levels, namely cattle.

 

These proposed amendments are the next step in the development of a nationally integrated, modern animal disease response system.

 

With a standardised system of numbering and use of uniform tags across USDA's animal disease programmes and the NAIS, animal health officials will be better equipped to locate and trace diseased and exposed animals during an animal health event.

 

Obtaining this information quickly will significantly minimise the spread of the disease and its impact on producers.