Ag Matters: New Ways to Track Mexican Cattle

With Mexican cattle imports underway again, new identification and documentation procedures are enhancing animal traceability. Samantha Holeck, New Mexico’s State Veterinarian, works directly with border ports and inspectors overseeing cattle imports from Mexico. She says electronic identification is increasing traceability as cattle move through U.S. ports of entry. One of the biggest changes comes after imported cattle are sorted on the American side of the border and prepped to move to their next destination. 

Holeck says the additional documentation is possible because imported cattle are now being tracked electronically.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says electronic ID and improved traceability are vital because it allows officials to track at-risk livestock in under an hour instead of weeks. The ability for rapid response limits the scale of outbreaks and cuts losses. 

Holeck says the new process has required everyone to adjust.

She says the new electronic tags are also replacing an older ID system that sometimes created problems for imported cattle.

The electronic tags can be used as the official ID for cattle coming from eligible Mexican states under an agreement between USDA and Mexico’s animal health authorities. New Mexico State Veterinarian Samantha Holeck says the system provides more detailed records for imported cattle.