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Iowa beef producer calls for voluntary traceability measures

An Iowa cattle producer says the beef industry needs to move forward on animal disease traceability to help protect the U.S. herd.

Justin Robbins owns a cow/calf operation near Scranton and tells Brownfield any future regulations need to protect producer privacy. “We need to be in the driver seat so the traceability can be voluntary, because if it becomes mandatory, we do not have a voice at that point. We will be regulated by government officials to what we have to do.”

He says a foreign animal disease outbreak would be magnified without a national traceability system in place. “Look at what’s happening across the globe with foot and mouth and swine flu,” he said. “We have all this stuff going on. We need to protect our interests and our interests are from the East Coast to the West Coast, from the north border to the south border.”

Robbins says he’s been a part of a traceability working group for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association over the past year.

He spoke to Brownfield at the 2023 Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit on Thursday.