Electronic ID tags may be the only thing standing between a national catastrophe and a rapid response to an animal disease outbreak in the U.S. That’s according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in defense of a new USDA traceability rule.
NCBA’s President Mark Eisele says some groups say electronic ID tags are unnecessary or too burdensome, but he counters that clinging to “outdated” manual tags puts the entire industry “at risk.”
He argues USDA’s new rule, finalized in April, will allow breeding cattle 18 months or older crossing state lines to be tracked more quickly in the event of foot and mouth or other emergencies. Former NCBA head Todd Wilkinson warned this year of an FMD disaster, saying “If that comes into the United States, the current plan is to shut the entire country down from all cattle movement for a minimum of 72 hours. And it’s probably going to go a lot longer than that.”
And to those producers who don’t want to bother with electronic tags, Wilkinson said “All of us have to just think back to the BSE case and other situations. Look at our friends in the poultry business. If we don’t think an animal disease is going to come into this country, as porous as our borders are, and impact our producers, you are burying your head in the sand.”
Cost is an issue, but Congress approved 15 million dollars this year to help producers afford electronic ID tags and avert possibly billions in economic losses.
Data privacy is the other concern. But NCBA’s Eisele says the group wants private third-party firms, rather than USDA, to hold data, protecting producer privacy while also allowing rapid traceback if there’s a disease outbreak.
Story by Matt Kaye/Berns Bureau; courtesy of NAFB News Service
