The New Mexico Livestock Board has had official ID laws, regulations, and policies almost since its beginning in 1887. The registered brand is the basis for animal identification in New Mexico.
The federal government, as well as some states, may require individual identification of livestock. New Mexico does not, with the exception of specific policies directed at dairy cattle and certain high-risk cattle entering the state.
The New Mexico Livestock Board does not enforce the animal or premise ID requirements of the federal government or other states; however, the agency does make available information and assistance concerning those requirements to our clients, the New Mexico livestock producers and marketers.
The New Mexico Livestock Board cannot override the interstate requirements of the federal government, nor the entry requirements of other states; therefore, it is essential that sufficient and accurate information be made available to the cattle industry in New Mexico.
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| 100308 Aphis Fact Sheet.pdf |
The first question often asked is "Why do we need Animal Identification?" The simplest answer is that it is a rational cost-effective animal identification program that will:
- Enhance foreign animal disease surveillance, control, and eradication;
- Facilitate epidemiological investigations;
- Improve biosecurity protection of the national livestock population;
- Distinguish animals vaccinated or tested under official US Department of Agriculture (USDA) disease control or eradication programs from unvaccinated and untested herdmates;
- Furnish official identification for animals in interstate or international commerce;
- Accurately identify blood and tissue specimens used for laboratory diagnostics;
- Track the health certification status of herds, States, and regions; and
- Enable effective regionalization and risk assessment in support of international trade.
The following items have greatly intensified public interest in developing a national animal identification program for the purpose of protecting animal health and maintaining our global livestock markets.
- The increasing number of animal disease outbreaks that have been reported around the globe over the past decade,
- the increasing global travel by our human population, and
- the increasing potential for accidental introduction of foreign animal disease
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NMLB Technicians read the RFID tag in a steer's ear during a routine TB test. By capturing this data electronically, NMLB veterinary staff is able to use our computer database to more quickly trace affected animals to their source, stopping the spread of the disease and protecting the nation's food supply.
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