Clifford Clarifies Traceability Plans

John Clifford, DVM, deputy administrator and chief veterinary officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services, offered some comments on the USDA framework for animal disease this week on the USDA blog. Specifically, Clifford addresses the issue of brands as a tool for identifying and tracking cattle.

Clifford says USDA continues to review and use comments and discussions collected during the last year's listening tour to develop a flexible, coordinated approach for livestock moving interstate. The purpose of the draft proposed regulation for livestock moving interstate, he says, has always been to:

• Apply only to animals moved interstate;
• Be administered by the states and tribal nations to provide more flexibility;
• Encourage the use of lower-cost technology; and
• Be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the full rulemaking process.

In the draft proposed rule, USDA will define official identification methods for each species. Establishing the official identification method in the draft proposed rule will provide clarity to livestock owners and ensure that no one state or tribe can deny a method of official identification or require a specific method of official identification for entry of livestock into its jurisdiction. These official identification methods or devices will be accepted by all states and tribes for the entry of livestock into their jurisdictions in addition to those agreed upon by animal health officials in the shipping and receiving state or tribe.

USDA has not specified when they will publish the proposed rule.

Reprinted in part from Drovers.com