Farmers and Ranchers Unite Against USDA's Costly Electronic Ear Tag Rule

Washington, DC, September 11, 2024 — Today, 46 leading farming, ranching, and food organizations have banded together in a forceful letter to Congress, urging immediate action to block a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that mandates electronic ear tags for adult cattle and bison crossing state lines. Set to take effect this November, the rule requires all official ear tags to be both visually and electronically readable, a move that critics argue serves big corporations rather than American farmers and ranchers.

“The new rule is nothing more than a cash grab for multinational meatpacking corporations and high-tech companies,” says Judith McGeary of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. “These entities are pushing mandatory electronic identification (EID) under the guise of animal health and food safety, but in reality, they are driving up costs and maximizing their own profits. Small farmers and ranchers, already squeezed by food inflation and market pressures, will bear the brunt.”

The rule amends the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule of 2013, which permitted producers to use a range of ear tags, including affordable metal tags. Critics argue that the USDA's new requirement disregards the effectiveness of the current system, which has already enabled cattle tracing within an average of one hour. Instead, the rule introduces higher costs for electronic tags while retaining the need for manual recordkeeping.

“The USDA's move to mandate both electronic and visual tags is clearly a stepping stone towards a more expensive, fully electronic system,” states Antonio Tovar, National Family Farm Coalition’s Senior Policy Associate. “Producers will end up paying more for tags while still having to transcribe numbers by hand. It’s evident that the USDA plans to transition to a costly all-electronic system, leaving farmers and ranchers footing the bill.”

The rule also raises concerns about the USDA’s potential return to the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), a highly controversial proposal withdrawn after widespread opposition. The agency’s recent announcement, promising a "modern animal disease traceability system" that tracks animals from birth to slaughter, echoes the language used to promote the NAIS, suggesting that the USDA may be gearing up for a similar system.

Bill Bullard of R-CALF USA states, “The USDA’s plan for NAIS faced widespread opposition from cow-calf producers and livestock owners across the entire country.  Despite the fact that producers overwhelmingly commented in opposition to the proposed rule, USDA chose to ignore the needs and concerns of American ranchers and push ahead with its pre-planned agenda.”

Joe Maxwell of Farm Action Fund comments, “This rule is a blatant attempt to side with big meatpackers over independent farmers and ranchers. The USDA’s actions are picking winners and losers, with small producers paying the price for a system that benefits only the largest players in the industry.”

Alexia Kulwiec of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) adds, “The USDA’s mandatory electronic ear tag rule disproportionately benefits large meatpackers by allowing them to avoid the requirements through group identification. In contrast, it imposes significant costs, burdens, and risks on independent ranchers and farmers. There is no evidence that RFID tags are necessary for effective disease traceability.”

“Independent family farm cattle producers are facing unprecedented economic stress and consumers are facing record high meat prices,” said Tim Gibbons with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, a statewide farm and rural organization representing Missouri cattle producers. “USDA should not be proposing new requirements for the benefit of corporate and foreign meatpackers and commodity traders at the expense of family farmers, rural communities, our local economies and national food security.”

The coalition is calling on Congress to intervene and prevent this costly and misguided rule from taking effect, advocating for a system that truly supports American farmers and ranchers without padding the pockets of industry giants.

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• Judith McGeary, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, (254) 697-2661, judith@farmandranchfreedom.org
• Bill Bullard, CEO R-CALF USA, (406) 252-2516, billbullard@r-calfusa.com
• Tim Gibbons, Missouri Rural Crisis Center, (573) 449-1336, timgibbons@morural.org
• Alexia Kulwiec, Executive Director Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, (803) 208-3276,  alexia@farmtoconsumer.org
• Joe Maxwell, Co-founder Farm Action Fund, jmaxwell@farmactionfund.us
• Antonio Tovar, National Family Farm Coalition’s Senior Policy Associate, (202) 543-5675, antonio@nffc.net

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Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance is a national advocacy organization that provides support for the thousands of small to mid-size farmers and ranchers who produce food using sustainable/regenerative methods. Since 2006, FARFA has advocated for independent and family farmers while promoting common sense policies for strong local, diversified agricultural systems. FARFA also works on behalf of millions of American consumers who care about protecting a healthy and productive food supply for their families.