To strengthen national swine disease traceability, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing no-cost RFID eartags for sow and exhibition swine producers.
Beginning this fall, eligible producers and State animal health officials will be able to order the tags through Merck Animal Health’s website. APHIS in July awarded Merck Animal Health a contract to supply up to $20 million worth of RFID tags over the next five years.
The program is modeled after a similar effort in the cattle industry, which, although met with resistance from some producers, has successfully provided cattle producers with no-cost RFID tags.
Merck Distribution
A distinctive feature of this program is its distribution system. Tags will be shipped directly from Merck Animal Health to producers and State animal health officials, bypassing APHIS as an intermediary. By using a direct-from-manufacturer model, the agency aims to get tags into use more quickly and efficiently.
To qualify, producers must have a valid premises identification number, provide shipping and contact details, and report the number of sows or exhibition pigs housed on-site. State animal health officials may also order tags, with allocations based on their state’s breeding sow population as reported by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Tag Allotment
The goal of the tags is to improve the speed and accuracy of swine disease tracking, a key factor in protecting animal health, market access, and the economic stability of swine producers.
While disease traceability does not prevent outbreaks, it dramatically shortens the time it takes to trace animal movements during an investigation. A faster response can reduce the number of farms affected, lower costs for producers, and limit disruptions to the broader agricultural economy.
Tag allotments vary according to the size of a producer’s herd. For example, farms with up to 500 sows may request 500 tags annually, while operations with more than 10,000 sows may order up to 6,000 per year. Exhibition swine producers may order tags for all animals located on their premises. These RFID tags require a compatible applicator, which must be purchased separately.
Producers and State animal health officials can learn more about ordering requirements, eligibility, and tag allocations by visiting the APHIS swine identification webpage.