USDA announced four overarching goals for advancing disease traceability in order to protect the long-term health, marketability and economic viability of the U.S. livestock industry.
The announcement was made at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s 2018 Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability in Kansas City, Mo.
USDA’s four goals for increasing traceability are:
- Advance the electronic sharing of data among federal and state animal health officials, veterinarians and the industry, including sharing basic ADT data with the federal animal health events repository;
- Use electronic identification tags for animals requiring individual identification in order to make the transmission of data more efficient;
- Enhance the ability to track animals from birth to slaughter through a system that allows tracked data points to be connected; and
- Elevate the discussion with states and industry to work toward a system where animal health certificates are electronically transmitted from private veterinarians to state animal health officials.
These goals reflect the core themes resulting from a State and Federal Animal Disease Traceability Working Group that developed 14 key points for advancing traceability. They are also in keeping with feedback APHIS received at stakeholder meetings held across the country to hear from industry and producers directly.
The Colorado Livestock Association applauds the effort to enhance animal disease traceability with input from all sectors of the livestock industry.
Colorado Livestock Association Policy
Animal Identification:
“CLA supports an effective permanent mandatory animal identification program that is technology neutral and that is developed by industry partners who agree on an acceptable plan that can be implemented in the most cost efficient manner that does not limit, inhibit or prevent commerce and is uniformly accepted and eliminates variation from state to state.”
Colorado Livestock Association (CLA) Policy is established by the CLA Board of Directors.
Questions? Contact us.
For more information on Animal Disease Traceability visit www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/SA_Traceability
