EID tags: Disease control or rancher control?

Cattlemen suspect that the mandate for electronic tags — EID tags — on cattle moving interstate is not really about veterinary surveillance even though the rule comes out of APHIS, the veterinary division of USDA. The USDA announcement talks about the need to rapidly traceback the movement of cows with disease, yet the vets are strangely quiet in defending it. Even the private veterinarians.

The cow/calf sector of the industry are most affected and the most vocally questioning. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is the main advocate. Clearly, that organization is eager - perhaps...