National Cattlemen September 2024 | Page 5

From the President

Mark Eisele

The future of the U . S . cattle industry hinges on our ability to swiftly respond to disease outbreaks . Yet , some groups and individuals continue to fight the tools that could protect our livelihoods . The most recent rule to come under fire is USDA ’ s animal disease traceability regulation .

In the face of a potential foot-and-mouth disease ( FMD ) outbreak , every minute counts . The choice between outdated methods and advanced technology could mean the difference between a controlled situation and a nationwide catastrophe . Imagine the chaos of an FMD outbreak , with markets shuttered , and producers frantically searching for nearly illegible metal bright tags in the pouring rain . This is not a future we can afford . Some argue these changes are unnecessary or burdensome , the reality is that clinging to outdated ideas , practices and technology puts our entire industry at risk .

USDA ’ s new rules call for the use of an electronic identification ( EID ) tag in breeding cattle , 18 months of age and older , being transported across state lines . This class of cattle has required an ID tag for more than a decade . USDA is simply changing the technology from a metal bright tag to an updated EID tag .

Innovation has always been the backbone of American agriculture . The use of EID tag technology is not just a step forward ; it ’ s a necessity for an industry that must be prepared for anything in a time of porous borders and uncertain global politics . USDA ’ s rule will allow cattle to be tracked more quickly in the event of FMD or a similar emergency when time is critical . We all know the metal clips in the ears of cattle are nearly impossible to read after a year or two . We also know that reading them , writing down the information from the tag , and transferring it

to a database is slow , cumbersome and subject to human error . These issues can be alleviated by simply running a wand over an EID tag , making traceability faster and less error prone .

There are still issues and concerns with USDA ’ s effort to upgrade technology . One of the issues that must be addressed is how data is gathered and stored . Producer privacy is paramount to this effort . NCBA has long advocated for tag data to be held by private , third-party companies , like CattleTrace , rather than USDA . A third-party holder of information helps protect producer privacy while also allowing the rapid traceback required in the event of a disease outbreak . Cost is the other factor NCBA has worked to alleviate . To help lower the costs of USDA ’ s rule , NCBA was able to secure $ 15 million in funding for the purchase of EID tags , to ensure cattle producers aren ’ t saddled with added compliance costs .

None of us in the agriculture community desire more government intrusion in our businesses or our lives . NCBA has stood on the front lines fighting , and might I say winning , many of those issues for decades . We have always stood for industry solutions to industry problems and worked to be proactive in creating those solutions . Those whose only answer is “ no ,” and those individuals and groups who would allow perfect to be the enemy of good , have created a vacuum that the government is more than happy to fill . It is past time for us , as cattle producers , to create an industry-led and industrycontrolled solution to disease traceability . Our current system and the ability to rapidly respond to a real disease outbreak is insufficient to protect each of us and our livelihoods . Now is the time for the cattle industry to lead , not lag .

5 NATIONAL CATTLEMEN www . NCBA . org