Have a livestock management concern? No doubt someone is working on tech to address it.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued its final ruling regarding e-ID tags on April 26, requiring these tags as a way to increase disease traceability.

In this episode of the Progressive Cattle Podcast, Editor Tyrell Marchant interviews Frank Mitloehner, from UC Davis, as they talk about sustainability and the industry’s relationship with the public when it comes to these issues. Additionally, Editor Carrie Veselka discusses all things mental health and resources available for farmers and ranchers with Jessica Cabrera of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Passionate about cattle and the people who raise them, Ignacio Albornoz, CEO and co-founder of Cattler, and his team have developed a mobile and desktop software platform that handles information covering rations, health, animal movement, and profit and losses.

E-ID tags can be a great tool for cattle producers looking for a simpler way to track data and automate inventory. They also come at a cost – around $1 to $3 or more per tag depending on the type, size and volume purchased.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued its final ruling on traceability, now requiring electronic ID (e-ID) tags with the goal of better responding to foreign animal diseases.

Disease traceability efforts in the livestock industry is nothing new. Aimed to help in the effort, a provision of $15 million for electronic identification (e-ID) tags was passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 in early March 2024.