The USDA has been taking public comments on their proposal to require radio frequency identification tags for cattle traceability. The South Dakota Stock Grower’s Association opposes the RFID tags as the sole means of identification. The groups I-D Chairman Kenny Fox says they have several reasons for being against the USDA mandate.

He says one of the big unknowns is the effectiveness of the RFID tags.

Fox says for effective animal disease traceability, it makes more sense to have more than one form of identification used.

Fox says the Stock Grower’s affiliate group, R-CALF has filed comments on the RFID mandate opposing it.