Clifford clarifies traceability plans, branding

Dr. John Clifford, deputy administrator and chief veterinary officer for APHIS 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.

Branding has been a point of contention in discussions of the traceability framework, with some producers and groups in western brand states contending the plan disqualifies brands as identification for cattle moving interstate.

“USDA supports the use of brands to identify cattle moving interstate,” Clifford says. “Further, USDA recognizes the value of brands and their prevalence in the western United States. The approach in the draft proposed regulation will provide flexibility for States and Tribes to use brands for compliance with the proposed requirements for interstate movement.”

Clifford explains that the proposed regulation will list official identification methods and devices, presumably not including brands, which will qualify cattle for movement between any states. States or tribes will not be able to deny or disqualify these official ID methods for cattle entering their jurisdictions.

However, animal-health officials in shipping and receiving states will have the option to form agreements allowing use of alternative forms of identification, including brands, tattoos, and breed registry certificates, Clifford says. So if two states agree, brands could serve as official identification for cattle moving between those states, but so would the tags or other devices USDA lists as official for the federal program. States could not insist on brands for cattle entering their jurisdictions, as they would be required to accept the official ID methods or devices.

USDA has not specified when they will publish the proposed rule. According to the agency’s Comprehensive Report and Implementation Plan on animal disease traceability, which they published in January 2011 and updated in March, “AHIS projects the proposed rule on traceability will be published in early 2011 and the final rule will be published 12 to 15 months later.” It is likely we will see the proposed rule soon.