Cattleman Wait on Publication of Final Traceability Rule

With California Ag Today, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

Last week, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released a final animal disease traceability rule requiring electronic identification for the interstate movement of all intact cattle over the age of 18 months, all dairy cattle and all exhibition or rodeo cattle. The rule will take effect six months after it is formally published in the Federal Register.

Existing regulations finalized in 2013 require visually readable ID tags for cattle moved interstate. While tags must still be visually readable under the new rule, the new regulation additionally requires tags to be electronically readable – enabling USDA to “more efficiently and effectively…complete a trace” to “compartmentalize animal disease outbreaks in order to mitigate adverse economic impacts,” according to the final rule.

From California Cattleman Weekly, APHIS will likely distribute tags in California through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The California Cattlemen’s Association says it will keep members apprised as additional information regarding the rule’s implementation develops.