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NCBA president outlines benefits of animal disease traceability

The president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says producers can use traceability as another form of risk management.

Don Schiefelbein says NCBA members will set policy this week around voluntary animal traceability and explains why this is a crucial component of risk management. “If I’m willing to voluntarily track all my ins and outs, so I know where my cattle came from, and where my cattle went, now I get a green light,” he says.  “Because a producer can clear all of their cattle, it will give them a green light for a producer to do business as usual if a disease outbreak were to occur.”  Schiefelbein says producers who might opt out of enrolling in a voluntary program, and a foreign animal disease outbreak does occur, it may take them a little more time to pick business back up.

He says NCBA members want the program to be voluntary and they’d like to see USDA offset at least part of the costs for producers.  “That USDA would say there is enough value in food security that we will give our fair share of contributions,” he says.  

The USDA recently proposed a rule on electronic identification for cattle moving interstate.  Some of the current NCBA Policy on an effective animal disease traceability program includes: compatibility with private sector animal ID and verification programs, compatibility with the general traceability principles of the World Organization of Animal Health, recognize existing USDA programs for beef exports, utilize low-cost electronic official tagging devices paid for by federal and/or state funds when possible, protection ownership information from disclosure to future owners, operate at the speed of commerce, and work within a framework to accommodate all classes of cattle.  

AUDIO: Don Schiefelbein, NCBA