APHIS outlined its forthcoming animal disease traceability proposal to Secretary Tom Vilsack’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health. The animal traceability proposal is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register in April 2011. A Final Rule is expected in April of 2012. According to the draft proposal, cattle and bison traceability would be implemented in three stages:
Stage 1 – to take effect next year, would require official identification of all sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age or older moved in interstate commerce; dairy cattle of any age; cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo or recreational events; and cattle and bison of any aged used for shows or exhibitions.
Beef cattle under 18 months would be temporarily exempted from the requirement.
Stage 2 – scheduled for 2014, would access Stage 1 in order to determine implementation plan in Stage 3 for cattle under 18 months of age. APHIS expects a 70 percent compliance rate with the official identification requirements for all cattle eligible under Stage 1.
Stage 3 – at a future date to be arranged, would require identification of all cattle, including feeder cattle under 18 months old. The draft animal traceability proposal and a transcript of the advisory committee meeting are expected to be posted on the APHIS website at www.aphis.usda.gov, as reported by Food Chemical News.