States request more free EID ear tags as new tag rule effective Nov. 5 - Agweek | #1 source for agriculture news, farming, markets

As of Nov. 5, any cattle that require official identification but don’t yet have it require an RFID tag. Any already tagged with official identification prior to that date are grandfathered in —

As of Nov. 5, any cattle that require official identification but don’t yet have it require an RFID tag. Any already tagged with official identification prior to that date are grandfathered in — electronic ID or not.

While support from producers regarding this change is mixed , as the deadline nears, a common concern seems to be that the free tags coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have quickly been scooped up. Those who missed out on free RFID tags need to obtain tags from their veterinarian or manufacturers while USDA and state agencies await the next allocations, according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Some are calling it an undue burden brought on by a government mandate.

Online vendors are currently selling the EID tags from $50-$70 for 20 tags, or about $3 a head. A tag reader can cost over $1,000.

“Minnesota has utilized our entire allocation for fiscal year '24,” Dr. Katie Cornille, senior veterinarian for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, said in a webinar hosted by the Board on Monday, Oct. 28. “If you ordered tags this summer, they are still on their way, and the distribution of that is being finished,” she continued. “And so what we're waiting on now from USDA, is how many free tags are going to be allocated to us for this, for this next fiscal year that just started at the beginning of the month.”

Minnesota’s allocation was 169,000 RFID tags for federal fiscal year 2024, which ended Sept. 30, according to Cornille. USDA has not told state agencies how many to expect for the current fiscal year or when they will receive them. Cornille does not anticipate that the allocation will cover all the cattle that would require them. There was a limit of 10,000 tags for vets and producers, she said.

Cornille indicated that at this time there is no waiting list to get on for more tags until more information is available about the next allocation.

The limited amount of free tags is felt in North Dakota, where U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Monday, Oct. 28, concerning the need for more.

According to Cramer's letter, on an annual basis, North Dakota uses approximately 125,000 white EID tags for interstate movement and other testing, and 175,000 orange EID tags for brucellosis program identification, or “bangs.”

The allocation of EID tags for each state was not based on the number of brucellosis vaccinations performed in each state, but rather on the total cattle numbers of that state and the animals that require official ID for interstate movement compliance with the ADT rule, according to Lindsey Cole, USDA's assistant director of public affairs.

"Owners can use, and states may distribute, any type or color of officially recognized EID tag that is available. An animal with an official ID of any type or color does not need to be retagged for any reason," Cole said.

While not required to use an orange EID tag, previously official USDA orange metal vaccination tags were used to indicate the animal has brucellosis vaccination. And since the beginning of bangs vaccines, the USDA has given producers free tags to indicate that vaccination, according to North Dakota state vet Ethan Andress. Many would still prefer to use an orange tag to indicate that vaccine, Cornille said.

“USDA’s decision to only fund white tags for compliance with the EID tag mandate and its purported inability to continue to offer orange tags for bangs will result in the state having a shortfall of nearly 175,000 tags,” Cramer wrote in his letter. “This will cost veterinarians nearly $500,000, which will in turn be borne by my state’s producers.”

Cramer questioned the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service allocations and emphasized that they were forcing ranchers “to deal with an unfunded mandate on top of historically high input costs.”

The real challenge is that tags were distributed based on cattle populations. Each state then got a percentage of the total tags based on their total cattle, which does not fulfill the full need for states like North Dakota, Andress said. On top of that, states like North Dakota are more likely to vaccinate for brucellosis because of the proximity to Yellowstone National Park, the only place in the U.S. where the brucellosis virus remains in wild populations of elk and bison.

"They don't have to vaccinate, but if they do, they have to tag," Andress said.

Andress described a disconnect between USDA and Congress. USDA is saying they distributed the amount of tags that Congress told them to send out. But Congress is now saying more is needed.

The allotment is enough to cover interstate (movement across state lines) needs but not the brucellosis needs. North Dakota still has some tags and even brought in some additional tags from another state. He adds that they continue to ration tightly to try to maintain a supply.

"All I can say is that in North Dakota, we are not going to have enough tags, and producers will be forced to buy their own — or choose not to bangs vaccinate," Andress said. Neither situation was a positive for the cattle industry.

It's an issue that will require industry to continue to work with Congress to reach a solution.

The rule specifies ear tags for all sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age or older, all dairy cattle, cattle and bison of any age used for rodeo or recreation events, and cattle or bison of any age used for shows or exhibition “must be both visually and electronically readable in order to be recognized for use as official identification for interstate movement of cattle and bison covered under the regulations.” Current EID include radio frequency identification (RFID). This means visual-only tags like the NUES 9 (metal or plastic) tags will no longer be counted as official unless they are applied to the animal before the Nov. 5, 2024, deadline.

“These rules are also effective for intrastate (within Minnesota) movements and using RFID tags bolsters our ability to quickly and accurately track the movements of animals in and around our state,” Cornille said. “A quick and accurate response means fewer farms and animals are affected by disease and quarantines, which reduces economic impact and keeps the industry moving.”

When disease is discovered at a farm, processing plant, or market, animal records tell the state boards of animal health what animals may have been exposed and where they went or came from so those investigating can follow the trail to find the source of the disease and contain additional spread. Tag information is recorded when tags are applied, at selling points, when official movements are recorded, and when a disease investigation is being conducted. RFID allows a quicker response during investigations because animal health officials can process tag information electronically, according to the Board of Animal Health.

A point given emphasis in the webinar is that the Board and USDA do not passively track RFID tags on producers’ private property or remotely monitor herds. Individual animal records are maintained by the producer only. Cornille said those looking to scan the tags must be within feet of the tag. The only information stored in the tag is the 15-digit number and the only reason they would be scanning tags would be for purposes of tracing a disease spread.

Producers can purchase tags from approved manufacturers directly or check with their veterinarian to see if they have a supply of RFID tags. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health lists the following manufacturers: Allflex, Datamars, Destron, Leader, Shearwell, Wuxi, and Y-Tex. Tag applicators are specific to each manufacturer. When no-cost tags are available through the USDA distribution program, producers and veterinarians can order through the Board’s website.

The rule changes what counts as official ID, not when official ID is needed. The rules regarding what needs to be identified when are not changing. USDA issued the new guideline April 26, 2024.

For more help on determining which and when an animal requires official ID, visit the Board's website . Questions on the implementation of this rule in Minnesota can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected] .

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