UNL Extension Educator, Webster County
December 27, 2012 Edition
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a final rule establishing general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate. The final rule is designed to give the United States a flexible, effective animal disease traceability system for livestock moving interstate, without undue burdens for ranchers and U.S. livestock businesses. The rule is supposed to meet the diverse needs of the countryside where states can develop systems for tracking animals that work best for them and their producers, while addressing any gaps in overall disease response efforts.
Over the past several years, USDA has had listening sessions across American with farmers and ranchers, working collaboratively to establish a system of tools and safeguards that will help the USDA target when and where animal diseases occur, and help us respond quickly. Under the final rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock moved interstate would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation, such as owner-shipper statements or brand certificates. The new rules do allow for flexibility in documentation and identification for interstate commerce, but they do not require all livestock to be identified except those moving interstate. They also do not dictate the format for recordkeeping or a specific type of tag.
After considering the public comments received, the final rule ended up having several differences from the proposed rule originally issued this past August 2011 and the will be published December 28 in the Federal Register. These include: Accepting the use of brands, tattoos and brand registration as official identification when accepted by the shipping and receiving States or Tribes; Permanently maintaining the use of back tags as an alternative to official ear tags for cattle and bison moved directly to slaughter; and accepting movement documentation other than an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) for all ages and classes of cattle when accepted by the shipping and receiving States or Tribes. It will also clarify that all livestock moved interstate to a custom slaughter facility are exempt from the regulations and exempting chicks moved interstate from a hatchery from the official identification requirements.
Specifically ear tags can be used, but won't be required under the new rules and actually offers producers flexibility in identifying cattle. Essentially, livestock producers will be able to use long-standing identification tools including tattoos and brands to identify cattle, and paperwork can be simplified too. Brands will be recognized when accompanied by an official brand inspection certificate as means of official identification for cattle. If a state will accept specific paperwork on an animal (not necessarily the Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) that is accepted under these new rules as well.
The rule’s traceability requirements focus primarily on breeding cattle. Most beef cattle under 18 months of age, for example, are exempt, meaning calves and feeder cattle, which make up the bulk of cattle entering commerce, will not need official identification, at least for now (unless they are moved interstate for shows, exhibitions, rodeos, or recreational event) are exempt from the official identification requirement in this rule. These specific traceability requirements for this group will be addressed in separate rulemaking, allowing APHIS to work closely with industry to ensure the effective implementation of the identification requirements. Specific details and Q&A can be found in a “USDA Fact Sheet on Traceability” online by going to: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/rule_movement_general.pdf
This new traceability rule will help track animals in case of a disease outbreak without creating a new more cumbersome recordkeeping system on top of what many producers already use for interstate commerce. Animal disease traceability, or knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they've been, and when, is very important to ensure a rapid response when animal disease events take place. An efficient and accurate animal disease traceability system helps reduce the number of animals involved in an investigation, reduces the time needed to respond, and decreases the cost to producers and the government. This effort will also help with establishing and re-establishing export to other countries who have indicated they won’t buy US meat unless the carcass is traceable and can be verified. Quite honestly I believe that the world is looking for more of a cookie cutter approach to animal identification and traceability, but the USDA and livestock industry partners are working towards a different avenue, which they believe will meet traceability needs while reducing what could be costly impact on producers. This new Federal traceability rule takes effect on February 26, 2013.
Globally, trade partners have been calling on the United States to implement tougher animal traceability rules - a push that started about nine years ago at this time with the discovery of the first U.S. cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The USDA feels this new rule will meet global trade partners' requirements. The “cow that ruined Christmas” 9 years ago was actually a case of atypical BSE and the beef industry and our state and Federal government had a quick, focused and appropriate response. It was a big kick to the gut at the time, but we worked through it and beef exports are strong today and most importing countries remain confident in our capacities. This traceability rule could add greater depth in global markets and desirability of American beef. It seems we have been going thought this drama of National Animal Identification System (NAIS), Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), Beef Cattle Verification Programs (BCVP), etc. forever. I hope this will bring the final touches to one of the most contentious era of the beef industry!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home
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