New Framework Developed for Livestock Tracking Program

Comments from farmers and ranchers have moved USDA to develop a new, flexible framework for an animal disease tracking system. The original system, which was dropped by the Obama administration due to industry criticism, assigned each animal a unique identification number that could be tracked in the event of a disease outbreak. Cost of tracking material and the extra work involved with reporting each animals’ movement caused farmers and ranchers some concern. The new framework, announced today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, will encourage the use of lower-cost technology, be administered by the states and Tribal Nations, apply to animals moved in interstate commerce and be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the rulemaking process. Read the press release. (The New York Times, AgWeb.com).