USDA’s animal traceability rules take effect in early November, expanding the requirement for electronic identification tags. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Senior Director of Government Affairs Sigrid Johnson said the change is being made in response to the threat of foreign animal disease. “It’s really less a matter of if we’re going to have an FMD outbreak and more of a question of when,” said Johnson. “When that happens, there’s enormous economic damage to our supply chain due to that mandatory stop-movement order when those first cases are detected.” The traceability offered through EID tags, will allow cattle to move quickly and efficiently in a safe and secure system. USDA said animal traceability rules were going to change two years ago. The NCBA pushed to ease the regulatory burden on producers.
