US CattleTrace was formed by cattlemen’s organisations to develop a national infrastructure for animal disease traceability. 

The tags contain ultra-high frequency technologies to collect data, including an individual animal identification number, a GPS location, and date and time. 

Shane Miller, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats, said: “Animal health and disease traceability are critical issues for the meat industry and we’re hopeful our involvement will help advance industry efforts to implement this programme across the country.”

Brandon Depenbusch, chair of the US CattleTrace board, said: “We’ve heard from stakeholders across the country that in order for a producer-led system to succeed, buy-in amongst all sectors is needed.”

In 2018, a collaborative partnership between Kansas State University, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, USDA, and individual producer stakeholders launched the CattleTrace pilot project. Its name was changed to US CattleTrace when national associations joined.