BY JERRY HAGSTROM
August 9
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The long-awaited and long-feared proposed rule requiring animal identification for the purposes of tracing back incidences of disease will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today. Comments on the rule will be accepted until November 9. Under the proposed rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock moved across state lines would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation, such as owner-shipper statements or brand certificates, Vilsack said. The proposed rule greatly expands what animals must be identified, WORC said, including feeder cattle, which are processed at a young age and never enter the breeding herd. WORC, which is based in Montana, contended that USDA was following what agribusiness wants. “The large volume of the animals that USDA proposes to track could overwhelm the capabilities of state agencies, making it impossible to retrieve useful data if there is in fact a disease outbreak,” stated Gilles Stockton, a Montana rancher and member of WORC. Stockton also serves on the USDA Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health. The proposed rule creates new requirements for not only animal owners, but also for businesses associated with livestock, WORC noted, adding that veterinarians and auction barns would be required to keep records on every tagged animal for a minimum of five years. “Consumers need the USDA to start focusing on the animal health and food safety risks posed by industrialized meat production,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food & Water Watch, a consumer group. “If USDA devoted as much energy to preventing animal diseases as it has to promoting animal tracking, our food system would be in much better shape. |
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Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until November 9: By mail: |