Livestock

System Established to Trace Animal Origins in the Case of Disease Outbreak Could Fail if Problems Are Not Addressed

August 2, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report requested by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and released today found weaknesses in USDA’s plan to implement a national animal identification system.    » read more »

July 10, 2007 -- SANTA FE – Today New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and New Mexico’s Congressional delegation urged the US Department of Agriculture to maintain the State’s status as a Tuberculosis Free state. In a letter to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns, Governor Richardson requested that dairy cattle in eastern New Mexico recently found to be infected with bovine TB be treated as a single herd. Bovine TB is a bacterial disease that affects primarily the upper respiratory tract of cattle.    » read more »

While the United States has vastly increased funding for homeland security and the military, two food safety experts warned that gaps remain in the nation's ability to adequately protect its crops and livestock from devastating pests and pathogens.    » read more »