Completed Project Report


Livestock Traceability: Assisting Ranchers in the Employment of Technologies to Improve Record Keeping, Productivity & Add Value to the Operation

  • Award Amount: $48,035
  • Regional Center: Western Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2019 Education Projects
  • Project Director: Kirk Wilbur
  • Email: kirk@calcattlemen.org
  • Organization: California Cattlemen's Association

Extension RME Regional Centers
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Project Overview

This Project sought, in part, to educate ranchers about upcoming regulatory changes in animal disease traceability (specifically a USDA proposal to require Radio Frequency ID tags for all sexually-intact cattle over 18 months of age) and to provide a venue for ranchers to engage directly with government officials regarding the proposal. Participants learned about the proposed regulatory change, and many provided verbal (and later, written) feedback to USDA regarding the proposal. While USDA rescinded the proposal 20 days later, the agency re-noticed the proposal in late 2020, meaning the information gleaned by ranchers (and the input provided to government officials) continues to have value.

The Project also sought to educate and assist ranchers in employing voluntary third-party traceability technologies that would add value to their business. A workshop on voluntary traceability programs was held which (1) overviewed the types of voluntary third-party traceability programs available and (2) analyzed the data regarding the return-on-investment of such traceability programs. 133 ranchers attended the workshop, with many survey respondents stating that they learned new information about voluntary traceability programs and some of those participants reporting that they subsequently enrolled in such programs and saw added market value in their herds as a result.

Number of Participants: 173

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

There are no promotional materials available for this project.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

There are no educational materials available for this project.

REPORTS & EVALUATIONS

There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.

DELIVERY AREA

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