USDA to hold traceability public meetings

The USDA will soon hold public meetings in three states to discuss its new approach to nationwide animal disease traceability. The meetings will be held in Kansas City, Missouri on May 11; Riverdale, Maryland on May 13th; and in Denver, May 17th.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced two months ago that the USDA was going to develop a new, more flexible, and coordinated animal traceability system whereby states and tribal nations would establish a means to track animals moving through interstate commerce to their state of origin. As opposed to the previous National Animal Identification System (NAIS) program, the USDA says the new regulatory framework will encompass the expertise of states, tribal nations and producers to decide which approaches work best for them.

There will be more meetings scheduled in the coming weeks.