Reindeer Permits Issued and WSDA Includes RFID to Livestock ID Rules

Reindeer Permits Issued and WSDA Includes RFID to Livestock ID Rules

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I'm Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.

**Just in the Nick of time, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued a 'movement permit' to Mr. S. Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited.

The permit allowed reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 7pm last night through 7am this morning, through or over any U.S. border port.

In addition to the normal disease testing requirements, flying reindeer must undergo tests to ensure they'll be able to safely handle significant changes in altitude and temperature, and are fit for landing on rooftops.

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2017/12/22/usda-issues-permit-santas-reindeer

**Four Republican Governors met with Vice President Mike Pence last week to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

Reuters reports the governor's wanted to talk about serious concerns regarding proposed changes they say could affect manufacturing and jobs in their states.

The meetings included Governors Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Rick Snyder of Michigan, Bill Haslam of Tennessee, and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.

**The Washington State Department of Agriculture has filed a notice of intent to update rules concerning livestock identification, specifically requiring Radio Frequency Identification instead of the currently required metal ID tags.

The proposed rule amendments would require official RFID tags: when female cattle receive brucellosis vaccinations, when bulls are sampled for trichomoniasis, and on all sexually intact cattle and bison over 18 months when presented at a public livestock markets.

Current rules require official identification, but allow

for metal ID tags.

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