Support animal disease traceability activities that will provide specific information to the recipient, aphis, and other interested parties for various commodities under animal disease traceability…

The Texas Animal Health Commission received a $445,104 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025), effective April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026. Under this award, the recipient will provide and distribute animal identification tags and electronic tag readers to livestock producers, establish accessible and searchable databases to track animal movements, and conduct timely traceability activities during disease management exercises and real-life disease tracking scenarios.

The agreement also encompasses outreach activities directed at Texas livestock producers and accredited veterinarians to promote adoption of electronic identification systems and standardized documentation practices. Key performance metrics include achieving passing trace performance measures, increasing on-farm official identification application in small ruminants as evidenced by reduced arrival of untagged animals at livestock markets, and increasing use of electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIS) to reduce manual data entry requirements. These activities support APHIS and domestic livestock producers while strengthening the nation's agricultural food supply security and international trade capabilities.

Support animal disease traceability activities that will provide specific information to the recipient, aphis, and other interested parties for various commodities under animal disease traceability agreement. Activities to be performed: what activities will the recipient carry out for each award? Provide and apply animal identification tags and electronic tag readers (as available) to producers, enter and track in accessible and searchable databases and to conduct traceability in a timely manner during an exercise or in real-life disease tracking. Conduct outreach activities to producers and accredited veterinarians to encourage use of electronic identification tags and documentation. Deliverables and expected outcomes: what are the goals of the award and what evidence is required from the recipient? To conduct animal traceability in a timely and effective manner evidenced by passing trace performance measures and traces in program disease management. To increase on-farm application of official ID in small ruminants evidenced by decrease arrival of untagged animals at livestock markets. To increase use of electronic cvis, evidenced by fewer paper cvis received in office requiring hand entry of data. Intended beneficiary(IES): who will benefit from this beyond the recipient? Aphis and livestock producers of texas and the agriculture industry of the united states to maintain domestic food supply and international trade subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: no subrecipients