Cramer Requests Answers on USDA EID Tag Mandate, Resources for Ranchers Amidst Federal Support Shortfall

BISMARCK, N.D. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Final Rule mandating the use of electronic identification (EID) tags on certain cattle and bison will take effect on Nov. 5. Approximately 300,000 tags will be needed for North Dakota ranchers to meet USDA's EID mandate and brucellosis program, but USDA will only allocate 116,000 tags to the North Dakota State Veterinarian to meet the EID mandate. USDA told the State Veterinarian it will no longer lend support to ranchers for the brucellosis program, or "bangs," and ranchers will be expected to cover the shortfall in bangs tags. These tags are an important tool for animal disease traceability in livestock. USDA's decision to only fund EID tags for interstate movement, and not brucellosis, creates an unfunded mandate and leaves a nearly $500,000 shortfall. This goes against a longstanding commitment from USDA to assist producers forced to comply with its regulations.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) wrote a letter to USDA requesting answers on the funding shortfall and stressed the need to allocate resources to ranchers for EID compliance.

"Animal disease traceability (ADT) efforts are critical for protecting our nation's herds, but new mandates should not erode the ability to carry out existing programs," wrote Cramer. "If USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is serious about its mission to protect against disease that could harm our nation's livestock, it should recognize the importance of maintaining federal support for bangs and abide by its decades-old obligation to supply tags needed for ADT programs.

"Without APHIS' support, ranchers are forced to deal with an unfunded mandate on top of historically high input costs," continued Cramer. "I look forward to your answers and clarification on these important and timely matters. In the near-term, I strongly urge USDA to allocate the resources needed by our ranchers to become compliant with the upcoming EID tag mandate. Going forward, USDA should also reconsider how it determines states' allocations. It is critical we support our ranchers who produce a reliable source of the highest-quality meat in the world."

Cramer previously recognized the importance of protecting herds from diseases. Earlier this year, he cosponsored and voted in favor of a Congressional Review Act after the Biden administration moved to allow the importation of fresh Paraguayan beef after a 25 year ban. In 2021, Cramer joined a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in sending a letter to USDA in support of the cattle industry's requests to suspend fresh beef imports from Brazil following cases of atypical spongiform encephalopathy.

Click here for the letter.