The U.S. cattle industry will have a new level of disease protection next month when USDA’s enhanced animal disease traceability rule takes effect. Rapid response to an animal disease outbreak is the aim of the new USDA traceability rule, with its visual checks and electronic tags to track most breeding cattle crossing state lines.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack stressed the importance of quick traceability at the recent World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin.
Former NCBA head Todd Wilkinson warned this year an FMD disaster would shut down cattle movement for at least 72 hours. And to those producers who don’t want to bother with electronic tags.
Congress approved 15 million dollars this year to help producers afford electronic ID tags and avert possibly billions in economic losses. However, data privacy is another concern.
NCBA President Mark Eisele said earlier that the group wants private third-party firms, rather than USDA to hold data, protecting producer privacy while still allowing rapid traceback if there’s a disease outbreak.
