USDA Launches Livestock Identification Program

USDA Makes Second Attempt with Livestock ID Program

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The U.S. government has rolled out a new livestock identification program aimed at helping agriculture offices to quickly track livestock in cases of disease.

This will be the second time that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has tried to implement this type of program. Federal officials say implementing the program will be critical in order to maintain the safety of the nation’s food supply. It was first attempted in 2006 and brought out as a voluntary program, which was unsuccessful because farmers and ranchers saw the program as too costly, more red tape and had privacy concerns.

The new program will be mandatory and will apply to animals being shipped across state lines – this will give states the flexibility to determine how animals will be identified. While the program will apply to a number of livestock animals, its main focus will be on cattle.