Maintain and improve animal disease traceability

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded a $234,967 cooperative agreement to Livestock & Poultry Commission Arkansas on April 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to maintain and improve animal disease traceability across Arkansas.

The award funds assignment and application of RFID tags at all 33 Arkansas livestock markets, data entry and tracking of issued tags into the CORE ONE database, conducting National Program Trace and real-trace exercises using official ID, and inspector presence at all 33 markets during every sale to record electronic official identification and monitor for disease. Outreach activities include attendance at key meetings with the Farm Bureau, 10 meetings with the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association, and state veterinary medical association meetings to expand electronic records and educate stakeholders on animal disease traceability.

Performance occurs across Arkansas from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. The award benefits the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, producers of over 28,000 cattle herds encompassing more than 1.56 million cattle, the 33 livestock markets, and the public through enhanced national herd traceability that enables rapid identification of infected, infested, or exposed animals, reducing disease spread and response time.

This facilitates disease response by being able to quickly identify movements of an infected/infested/exposed animal which allows for decreased disease spread and response time. AR will meet the needs for traceability, preparedness, response, and outreach necessary to protect american agriculture and accomplish VS mission goals. This cooperative agreement will perform the following activities. Traceability performance measures, administration and documentation of official identification and information sharing will be maintained and expanded. Expansion of electronic records through outreach to producers, markets and public by attending key meetings with farm bureau, 10 meetings with arkansas cattlemen's association, and state veterinary medical association meetings. Maintain compliance and enforcement of traceability regulations by ensuring all 33 of the livestock markets in AR have an inspector to record electronic official ID and monitor for disease. The deliverables and expected outcomes of this cooperative agreement are to conduct NPT and real traces that use official ID, to include data entry; assign and apply rfid tags at all 33 AR markets; track all tags issued, by entering data into core one database; attend all local, state, regional and national meetings to discuss traceability with stakeholders; inspect all 33 markets at every sale; educate stakeholders on ADT. The intended beneficiaries for this cooperative agreement are the following: arkansas department of agriculture, producers of over 28,000 cattle herds including over 1.56 million cattle, 33 MS livestock markets, and the public by ensuring adequate traceability in the national herd.