The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has scheduled an Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) meeting in Fort Worth.
The Texas meeting will be held July 20 at the Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Hotel and Golf Club.
The current ADT regulations—in place since 2013—reflect a basic framework for traceability of certain classes of cattle and other livestock moving across stateliness.
At the time the ADT program was initiated, USDA officials suggested the program eventually could expand to provide more comprehensive traceability for additional classes of cattle as they move through the production chain. The overall goal is to provide faster, more targeted response in containing disease outbreaks.
In the upcoming meetings, APHIS and state officials will discuss what has been accomplished, along with traceability gaps or shortfalls. The primary goal is to gather feedback from industry stakeholders on questions regarding their experiences with ADT and the program’s future direction.
Questions of interest include:
1. What areas are working well?
2. What aspects are challenging, confusing, or problematic?
3. How can these obstacles can be rectified? In addition APHIS would like to obtain stakeholder views on the longer-term issues: in particular, what is the level of traceability that should be considered if we are to move beyond the basic traceability framework?
In addition, APHIS would like to obtain stakeholder views on the longer-term issues. In particular, what is the level of traceability that should be considered if we are to move beyond the basic traceability framework?
APHIS requests attendees to register online in advance of the meetings, but on-site registration will be available. The agency also encourages stakeholders to submit written questions prior to the meetings.
Options for submitting questions include using the Federal eRulemaking Portal or sending them in via postal mail/commercial delivery.
If using the second option, send your comment or questions to Docket No. APHIS-2017-0016, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
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