Farm Progress America, October 7, 2024

Mike Pearson takes a look at a new regulation that will require electronic identification tags on cattle and bison crossing state lines in the USA.

Over a decade ago, the USDA APHIS started requiring identification tags on cattle and bison vaccinated with the Brucellosis vaccine.

Since then, the animals have had metal tags. However, electronic tags are now being required for better traceability and faster response times int eh event of a disease outbreak.

The electronic id tags will be required on all cattle and bison over 18 months old and biologically intact. All dairy cattle of any age and cattle or bison used for rodeos will be also need the official USDA electronic identification tags.

Many producers will be able to get the tags from their state department of agriculture.

The electronic identification tags are free and were part of a congressional decision to allocate $45 million for the tags in an effort to tag animals in the event of a disease outbreak.

The EID system will include a 15 digit number that begins with a country code 840 and it can be scanned digitally or read visually.

One exception is that cattle going to slaughter within three days are exempt.

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness .

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