Dear Friend,

I wanted to make you aware of two active issue that are affecting independent ranchers and dairy farmers at this time.

Electronic Identification Tags (RFID)

On May 9, 2024, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds introduced legislation (S. 4282) to prevent the USDA from implementing mandatory electronic identification on livestock that moves in interstate commerce.

The bill is in response to a final rule issued by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that requires Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or electronic animal ID tags, and visual identification, on any cattle and bison moving in interstate commerce (across state lines). The rule is scheduled to take effect in approximately 180 days, with the exact date to be announced soon. For further background on RFID read here.

The rule benefits large meatpackers by allowing them to structure their operations to avoid the requirement through “group identification” while it hurts America’s cattle ranchers and small farms by placing significant costs, burdens, and risks, on smaller, independent ranches and farms. There is no evidence that the change is needed for disease traceability. Rather than support a resilient food system, the rule prejudices small and mid-scale producers.

Senator Rounds bill (S. 4282) states “The Secretary of Agriculture shall not implement any rule or regulation requiring the mandatory use of electronic identification ear tags on cattle or bison.”

Last week, FTCLDF issued an Action Alert calling on you to contact your senators to join in supporting S. 4282. Please view the Action Alert and take the action steps suggested to let your voice be heard.

HPAI in Dairy Cattle

As FTCLDF readers surely know, there have been a number of reports of the so-called Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) spreading from poultry to dairy cattle. The USDA states that dairy cows may have been infected in nine states.

FTCLDF wishes to strongly emphasize that there is no evidence of potential virus transmission from raw milk to humans. To read more on

the science involved, please read the blog from medical microbiologist and microbial risk assessor Peg Coleman,

Recently, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that all dairy cattle must be tested for HPAI prior to moving across state lines. The USDA order requires a negative test from an approved National Animal Health Laboratory.

In 2010, both the FDA and USDA determined that HPAI is not considered to be a foodborne pathogen, and there is no evidence that drinking milk from an animal that has testing positive has any negative impact on health.

Last month, the USDA APHIS published that clinical signs of the virus in cattle are relatively mild, and infected animals recover after about 7-10 days.

FTCLDF will be watching and weighing in on these developments and will keep you posted. Please share this important information with your rancher and farmer friends, who may not receive our emails.