USDA Outlines Next Steps for Advancing Animal Disease Traceability

In Kansas City this morning at the National Institute of Animal Agriculture (NIAA) Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability, Greg Ibach, USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, announced four overarching goals for advancing animal disease traceability.

USDA’s four overarching goals for increasing traceability are:

– Advance the electronic sharing of data among federal and state    animal health officials, veterinarians and industry; including   sharing basic animal disease traceability data with the federal   animal health events repository (AHER).

– Use electronic ID 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 tracking 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.

LMA President Tom Frey and LMA staff are at the NIAA Strategy Forum on Livestock Traceability representing the marketing industry in these discussions. As these conversations continue, LMA will be seeking member feedback on this announcement and traceability as a whole. If you have thoughts you would like to share with LMA, please contact Chelsea Good (cgood@lmaweb.com / 816-305-9540), Pierce Bennett (pbennett@lmaweb.com / 937-541-1287), or your LMA Regional Executive Officer.