Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded the Arizona Department of Agriculture a cooperative agreement totaling $184,950 (Award Date: April 1, 2026; Completion Date: March 31, 2027) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025). The award supports the establishment and maintenance of a robust animal disease traceability (ADT) system designed to safeguard Arizona and U.S. livestock health while enhancing homeland security through agricultural disease prevention. Key deliverables include administration of official identification devices (particularly radio frequency identification tags), management of electronic records through USAHERDS and VET-CVI platforms, and coordination of livestock movement documentation for imports and exports. The awardee will conduct monthly accreditation and outreach activities averaging 40-50 participants quarterly, perform 1-2 trace exercises annually, attend quarterly meetings with the Southern Arizona Cattleman's Protective Association, record over 100,000 RFID tags quarterly for cattle and bison, and track interstate and international cattle movement documentation.

The cooperative agreement addresses the heightened biosecurity risks associated with Arizona's proximity to the Mexican border by establishing infrastructure for early detection and prevention of transboundary and foreign animal diseases. In addition to routine traceability management, the Arizona Department of Agriculture will ensure compliance with state and federal livestock movement requirements, facilitate disease outbreak response capabilities through real-time traceability data, and provide regulatory outreach and communication to Arizona cattle producers and other agricultural stakeholders. All activities are monitored daily and reported quarterly to the APHIS program manager.