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Animal disease traceability rule in effectKansas The new animal disease traceability rule went into effect March 11. Animals moved interstate, unless otherwise exempted, must be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection. The requirement includes all sexually intact beef cattle 18 months of age and older, dairy cattle of any age and all cattle used for rodeo, recreation, show or exhibition. Beef cattle less than 18 months of age are exempt from the official identification requirements under the rule. Specific traceability requirements for this class of cattle will be addressed in separate rulemaking, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This exemption was requested by Kansas Livestock Association and other industry organizations during the public comment period on the proposed rule. Acceptable forms of identification recognized by the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health include metal, visual or radio frequency tags; official backtags for cattle moving directly to slaughter; and registered breed tattoos accompanied by a certificate. Implementation of the USDA rule varies slightly from state to state. For more information on how Kansas is applying the rule, visit http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/docs/default-source/rc-ah-large-animal/adt-for-cattle.pdf?sfvrsn=2. DAH officials suggest checking with the receiving state for specific import requirements when shipping cattle out of Kansas. Date: 3/18/2013
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