This cooperative agreement is directed toward accomplishing the following objectives addressed below: • meet the needs for surveillance, preparedness, response, and outreach necessary to protect…

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF) received a $138,675 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. This award supports animal disease traceability infrastructure and surveillance activities designed to protect Louisiana's agricultural resources. LDAF will conduct approximately eight National Premises Traceability (NPT) exercises and real traces using official animal identification, collaborate with USDA APHIS and Agricultural Import/Commodity (AIC) personnel to process traceability records, and maintain comprehensive documentation of all traceability activities in the EMRS2 database system. The state will search relevant databases including USAHERDS, SCS/F Brand, and AIMS to support trace completion and compliance with federal performance standards.

LDAF will also expand electronic animal disease traceability capabilities by distributing RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags through Louisiana markets, implementing the Trace First CoreOne database system for compatibility with USDA platforms, and conducting comprehensive stakeholder outreach to producers, dealers, agents, veterinarians, and other market participants. These activities collectively address surveillance, preparedness, response, and public education objectives necessary to strengthen agricultural biosecurity and disease response capacity while transitioning toward a fully electronic, paperless traceability system that minimizes data entry errors and enhances overall animal disease traceability infrastructure.

This cooperative agreement is directed toward accomplishing the following objectives addressed below: • meet the needs for surveillance, preparedness, response, and outreach necessary to protect american agriculture and accomplish VS mission goals. • LA will work with our USDA NPT coordinator and USDA AIC to conduct approximately 8 NPT and real traces (slaughter reactors, public record requests) that use official ID. The AIC collects the source doument and submit those to the NPT coordinator. They, in turn, will create and activate the trace. Once notified, ldaf personnel will search databases (usaherds, scsfbrand, aims, and paper archives if needed), and the state program coordinator will enter steps taken to complete the trace into EMRS2. • meet traceability performance standards by documenting and recording applicable traces and trace exercises in EMRS2. • continue to work with USDA aphis VS in louisiana to distribute rfid tags to continue to increase the potential of a fully electronic system to minimize data entry errors, go paperless, and enhance ADT. • continue use of trace first's coreone database as a compatible system with USDA and some other state systems. • continue implementation of an outreach plan to educate dealers, agents, producers, veterinarians, and other stakeholders on animal disease traceability and record these activities in appendix b.2. Activities to be performed. This cooperative agreement will perform the following activities addressed below: • traceability performance measures • administration and documentation of official identification • information sharing • expansion of electronic records • outreach to producers, markets and public • compliance and enforcement of traceability regulations deliverables and expected outcomes. The deliverables and expected outcomes of this cooperative agreement are listed below: • conduct (8) NPT and real traces that use official ID, to include data entry • assign and apply rfid tags at all LA markets • track all tags issued, by entering data into usaherds database • attend all local, state, regional and national meetings to discuss traceability with stakeholders • inspect all markets quarterly • educate stakeholders on ADT intended beneficiary(IES). The intended beneficiaries for this cooperative agreement are the following: • ldaf • producers • markets subrecipient activities. Not applicable this cooperative agreement is directed toward accomplishing the following objectives addressed below: meet the needs for surveillance, preparedness, response, and outreach necessary to protect american agriculture and accomplish VS mission goals. LA will work with our USDA NPT coordinator and USDA AIC to conduct approximately 8 NPT and real traces (slaughter reactors, public record requests) that use official ID. The AIC collects the source doument and submit those to the NPT coordinator. They, in turn, will create and activate the trace. Once notified, ldaf personnel will search databases (usaherds, scsfbrand, aims, and paper archives if needed), and the state program coordinator will enter steps taken to complete the trace into EMRS2. Meet traceability performance standards by documenting and recording applicable traces and trace exercises in EMRS2. Continue to work with USDA aphis VS in louisiana to distribute rfid tags to continue to increase the potential of a fully electronic system to minimize data entry errors, go paperless, and enhance ADT. Continue use of trace first's coreone database as a compatible system with USDA and some other state systems. Continue implementation of an outreach plan to educate dealers, agents, producers, veterinarians, and other stakeholders on animal disease traceability and record these activities in appendix b.2. This cooperative agreement will perform the following activities addressed below: traceability performance measures; administration and documentation of official identification; information sharing; expansion of electronic records; outreach to producers, markets and public; compliance and enforcement of traceability regulations. The deliverables and expected outcomes of this cooperative agreement are listed below: conduct (8) NPT and real traces that use official ID, to include data entry; assign and apply rfid tags at all LA markets; track all tags issued, by entering data into usaherds database; attend all local, state, regional and national meetings to discuss traceability with stakeholders; inspect all markets quarterly; educate stakeholders on ADT. The intended beneficiaries for this cooperative agreement are the following: ldaf; producers; markets. No subrecipients.