RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The Pennington County Board of Commissioners has voted to oppose a USDA electronic cattle tag requirement.
The County is now one of more than 11 in the state to come out against the rule. rfid key tags
Commissioners voted after testimony by ranchers and the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.
“I think once we explained everything, they see it the same way we do, and we need to protect our state laws that are being overran by a rule by USDA,” Doris Lauing, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, said.
The rule at hand requires certain cattle and bison crossing state lines to have electronic tags. The USDA says the tags help trace disease more effectively. Rancher Rick Fox from Hermosa gave comment before the vote.
Fox says while nothing is perfect, previous systems to detect disease have worked.
“Back twenty-some-odd years ago, the chief brand inspector for the South Dakota stockyards, he traced a bull, a couple bulls in Montana that was in South Dakota, he traced them within a couple hours, of where they originally came from” Fox said.
Rancher Jerry Mader from New Underwood says he opposes that the tags are mandatory.
“If people want to use them for their own records or whatever, that’s fine with me, but the mandatory part is a big issue for me,” Mader said.
The electronic tag requirement went into effect in November. Senator Mike Rounds requested the then outgoing Biden administration to suspend the rule last month.
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