<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4YJdjF_0wB5Ycvo00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4YJdjF_0wB5Ycvo00" width="838" height="440" ><p><b>Electronic ID tags required</b></p><p>A U.S. Department of Agriculture rule requiring newly applied cattle and bison official ID tags to have both a visual and electronic component will go into effect Nov. 5. Currently the only official tags that meet those requirements are 840 RFID tags. The requirement applies to official identification placed for any reason, including interstate movement, brucellosis vaccination and tuberculosis testing. Cattle tagged with visual-only official tags prior to Nov. 5 do not need to be retagged unless they lose their ID. The changes only apply to official ID for cattle and bison.</p><h2>People are also reading…</h2><p>The purpose of the rule is to improve livestock traceability. Electronic identification tags and systems provide many advantages over traditional metal tags, including faster information sharing, more accurate and precise identification of animals, and significantly faster record searches during disease outbreaks. Along with the transition to electronic identification, the rule also clarifies the definition of “dairy cattle” to include crossbred calves of any breed that are born to dairy cattle. That means those animals will need to be identified as dairy cattle for interstate movement.</p><p>In addition, the rule requires that all dairy cattle, including dairy steers, have individual official ID included on certificates of veterinary inspection. A statement on the certificates of veterinary inspection that dairy steers are officially identified will no longer be sufficient. Visit www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability for more information.</p><p><b>New resource available</b></p><p>The National Organic Program recently posted a new Livestock Transitional Production Plan template on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service website. The new resource was developed under the Organic Transition Initiative’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program. The Livestock Transitional Production Plan template provides an additional resource for livestock producers. The template helps livestock producers transitioning to organic production learn how to document their organic practices in preparation for completing the Organic System Plan required for organic certification. By learning those practices and documenting the materials used, producers can feel more confident they are on the right track early in the process. Visit www.ams.usda.gov for more information.</p></div></body>

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A U.S. Department of Agriculture rule requiring newly applied cattle and bison official ID tags to have both a visual and electronic component will go into effect Nov. 5. Currently the only official tags that meet those requirements are 840 RFID tags. The requirement applies to official identification placed for any reason, including interstate movement, brucellosis vaccination and tuberculosis testing. Cattle tagged with visual-only official tags prior to Nov. 5 do not need to be retagged unless they lose their ID. The changes only apply to official ID for cattle and bison.

Livestock Roundup

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