SPRINGDALE, AR – In a sign of what seems to be coming for the livestock industry, Tyson Foods last week joined U.S. CattleTrace. The program launched three years ago when Kansas State University, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, USDA, and individual producer stakeholders developed a plan to assist animal health officials with a quick and effective means to respond to any foreign disease outbreak in the beef industry. With the announcement, Tyson becomes the first beef processor to invest in the program. U.S. CattleTrace utilizes ultra-high frequency ear-tags to collect basic information, including an individual animal identification number, a GPS location, and date and time, so that in the event of a disease outbreak, an animal can be traced backward to identify the problem.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)