Agricultural News
Should Animal Disease Traceability Programs be Mandatory? More and More Producers Saying Yes
Mon, 31 Jul 2017 11:49:07 CDT
While a recent case of atypical BSE in an 11-year-old cow found just a couple weeks ago in Alabama, proved to be nothing more than a momentary hiccup - it did have one impact. Colin Woodall with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association told Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, it has brought the issue of animal disease traceability programs in the cattle industry front of mind for a lot of people.
"It definitely has reenergized the whole discussion of whether or not these programs need to be mandatory," Woodall said. "I think it showed that the traceability that we have in place is useful. It may not work as quickly as a lot of people would like it to, but it does work."
Woodall shares that there has been a lot of internal discussion at NCBA about the matter and says the issue was even addressed at the organization's recent business meeting this summer. He says NCBA's policy was actually revised there in Denver, this year, where the word "voluntary" was omitted from their policy on animal ID and traceability. Reflecting NCBA's change in posture - now more open and not immediately opposed to discussion on mandatory traceability programs.
"Now, we did not replace it with 'mandatory,' but the fact that we are open to options, I think, shows that there is a shift in the mindset for a lot of cattle producers," he said. "And, a lot of cattle producers understand that given the increasing number of threats that we are under, we need to make sure we have a system that works."
Listen to Hays and Woodall discuss the shift in the cattle industry towards more open-mindedness regarding the issue of mandatory animal disease traceability programs, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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