In a letter to President Joe Biden, R-CALF USA expressed concerns over proposed changes to federal procurement regulations for beef. CEO Bill Bullard says the domestic cattle supply chain could be strengthened by changing current standards to require only animals born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S. be eligible for use in federal meal programs. “The purpose is to ensure that our federal tax dollars being use to feed school children are flowing to U.S. cattle producers and not importers and packers bringing in foreign animals.” Under current rules, product is based on where the animal was slaughtered. That includes animals imported from Canada and Mexico and slaughtered in the U.S. The Biden Administration is also taking further action to approve Radio Frequency Identification as the official eartag for interstate movement of cattle, meaning the proposed rule will not be finalized yet. R-CALF calls this action a victory. “Cattle producers will retain the flexibility to use low-cost methods of identification such as metal or plastic eartags,” says Bullard. Hear the Red River Farm Network story.