ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah’s ranchers are grappling with frustration over a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture mandate. Unveiled on April 26, the rule states that all sexually intact cattle and bison transported across state lines must bear electronically readable tags.

Metal clip tags were previously required for interstate travel. These will now be replaced by electronic radio frequency identification tags. Cattle and bison are exempt from official identification requirements if they are going directly to slaughter.

The new regulation, which also applies to animals used for rodeo or recreational events and dairy cattle, has prompted strong opposition from ranchers, who view it as federal overreach into their livelihoods. They also see it as another blow to what they call an already struggling industry.

“This rule represents another attempt by this administration to get ranchers off the land,” said Iron County Commissioner Marilyn Wood, who is also a rancher. “They want the cattle off the range and they are doing everything they can to make sure ranching is overly burdensome and too costly for us to continue to ranch.”

Opponents of the USDA mandate, including ranching associations such as the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America, argue that the rule will lead to increased costs for cattle producers.

The cost of the ID tags can range from $2 to $5 per head, according to the Oklahoma State University Extension, while radio frequency wands can cost up to $1,300 each. These expenses add up for ranchers, many of whom operate on tight profit margins, Wood said.

Former Washington County commissioner and longtime rancher Alan Gardner said he also worries about the long-term price tag of the new regulation.

“The cost of doing business as a rancher has become so high over the last few decades it’s almost impossible to make a living anymore,” Gardner said. “Ranchers have been hit hard with the last few decades with drought and the costs of following ongoing federal and environmental mandates that it’s just become more and more difficult for us to keep going.”

The United States Congress approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 in March, allocating $15 million for the provision of electronic identification tags. Shortly thereafter, President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.

But with approximately 700,000 ranchers nationwide, opponents of the rule say that’s not enough to cover all the costs.

“It’s just another mandate that won’t have any money to carry it out long-term, so the cost will fall on the rancher and, in turn, back on the consumer who will ultimately pay for it. So once again, our food costs will go up,” Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens said.

Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, an attorney who represented ranchers for years prior to winning her congressional seat, took to the social platform X on Monday to criticize the new rule. Like others, Hageman emphasized the financial strain she believed it would impose on ranchers.

Additionally, Hageman said the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service neglected to conduct a proper federal review and failed to provide an accurate economic analysis of the rule. She also argued that the mandate is duplicative for ranchers who must transport their cattle across state lines for sale.

Wood agreed, saying the tags are unnecessary since cattle already have to undergo a health inspection prior to being sold.

“We already have to do a health inspection when we sell our cattle,” Wood said. “And what really makes me mad is what type of checks are done on the meat that comes from these other countries that do not have the level of health and safety regulations we do in the states?”

There is also support for the new measure. Some ranching associations, processing plants and auction houses have endorsed the rule, citing benefits such as streamlined livestock management.

Proponents argue that electronically readable tags offer a more efficient means of tracking animals, thereby facilitating quicker responses to disease outbreaks. According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which submitted comments in support of the rule when it was initially proposed last year, the provisions aim to improve the capacity of government officials, veterinarians and livestock producers to address high-impact diseases promptly.

“An outbreak of a foreign animal disease in the United States, like foot-and-mouth disease, would be catastrophic to the cattle industry and our way of life,” said then-Cattlemen’s Association President Todd Wilkinson.

“Traceability is about risk protection and ensuring we have the tools to quickly identify and respond to an outbreak while strengthening consumer trust in our high-quality beef.”

“Our comments emphasize the importance of protecting the U.S. cattle herd from the threat of a foreign animal disease while also protecting producers’ private data, limiting the cost of tagging devices, and operating at the speed of commerce,” he added.

Likewise, the USDA said the rule is a necessary step toward minimizing the spread of infectious diseases and protecting both animal and human health.

The new mandate will be effective 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register, which will happen in the coming weeks.

Under the new rule, ear tags must be visually and electronically readable. Additionally, the rule sets forth record retention and access criteria.

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