October 31, 2019

USDA aborts new RFID cattle tracking regulations

A fact sheet regarding the issue from the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) was removed from the APHIS website after feedback from the livestock industry.

In a statement by APHIS, the agency policy was removed after poor feedback from the industry, as well the need for transparency and communication on the subject before regulations were enforced onto US ranchers and farmers.

A new proposal on cattle tracking regulations will be proposed by APHIS in the future.

APHIS continues to recommend the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices to track cattle (especially for interstate transport) as a way to prevent the spread of animal diseases in the country and meet the demands of US and overseas buyers.

APHIS also encourages the use of electronic health certificates, electronic sharing of basic animal disease traceability data, and improved ability to trace animals from birth to slaughter.

Current regulations permit the use of tattoos and brands as identification only if both the shipping and receiving US states are agreeable. These affect only sexually intact cattle aged 18 months and older that are transported between states for commercial reasons, dairy cattle, as well as cattle used for exhibitions and events.

More details of the aborted agency policy can be found at: http://m.efeedlink.com/contents/07-19-2019/a35f0c25-a471-4566-a2e1-e78dddd57eff-a002.html