The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued its final ruling regarding e-ID tags on April 26, requiring these tags as a way to increase disease traceability.

The usage of technology has also been utilized in the beef industry, such as with RFID tags, genomic testing and robotics. The newest technology to enter the ring is artificial intelligence (AI), which is continuing to develop for the use of facial recognition in cattle, which is being implemented, and which can contribute to a national disease animal traceability program with a developing app called CattleTracs.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued its final ruling on traceability, now requiring electronic ID (e-ID) tags with the goal of better responding to foreign animal diseases.

Disease traceability efforts in the livestock industry is nothing new. Aimed to help in the effort, a provision of $15 million for electronic identification (e-ID) tags was passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 in early March 2024.

Utilizing beef sires on high-producing but lower genetic-quality females has been a game changer for the industry, as you know.

On Jan. 18, USDA-APHIS announced a proposed rule to amend animal disease traceability regulations. The public comment period regarding the proposal is open through March 22, 2023. If the proposal becomes law, official USDA tags would be defined as those that are both visually and electronically readable.