EPHRATA - Ephrata cattleman Bill Sieverkropp and others in the industry are watching a federal proposal requiring an electronic identification system for cattle traveling across states.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's goal is know where diseased animals are to provide a quick response during animal disease events, according to the department's website.

"An efficient and accurate animal disease traceability system helps reduce the number of animals involved in an investigation, reduces the time needed to respond, and decreases the cost to producers and the government," according to an USDA statement.

Sieverkropp doesn't transport cattle across state lines, but can speak to the benefits of using brands for cattle being moved within the state. He brands their cattle for identification purposes.

"I guess I would like to stick with the hot brand," said Sieverkropp. "It's worked for 100 years or better."

He's found that ear tags work well for a second piece of identification.

But as proof of ownership, he cannot see where tags would work as well as a brand. Tags fall off, where brands do not.

He raises a commercial cow herd for beef, using the brand as proof of ownership.

His cows receive numbered ear tags with the farm name on the day they're born. Their number corresponds with their mothers' numbers, to help pair them correctly after transport.

He brands all of his cattle every year, by the time they are a few months old.

Sieverkropp said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering going entirely electronic.

But there would be costs to cattle operations to meet an electronic requirement.

Electronic tags cost more than $2 each and an electronic hand reader is needed to scan the tags.

Jack Field, executive vice president of the Washington Cattlemen's Association, said he understands a final rule should be released anytime now on the federal proposal.

The association has been vocal in getting the brand as an identity for cattle.

He called the federal rule the USDA's second shot at a disease surveillance program.

"The feds are simply mirroring the requirements that are already out there, except for the commerce requirement," Field said.

But, if cattle are shipped to Idaho, animals must be identified on a health permit to meet Idaho's requirements.

"They are trying to unify existing requirements out there and pull them into one central place," Field said.

There is a difference of opinion as to how to reach animal disease traceability.

The association's position is that the USDA needs to incorporate the brand.

When cattle change owners in Washington state, the state Department of Agriculture requires a livestock inspection by a brand inspector.

"This is a very valuable transaction," Field said. "The USDA system ignores it. It puts more pins on the map in capturing that movement data. We capture that information every day."

There are between 13 and 17 brand states, located primarily in the western U.S.

Without branding, a huge step backwards is being taken in animal disease traceability and surveillance, he contends.

Cattle Producers of Washington (CPOW) President Nate Hair said the beef industry has traceability with the brand.

"It may not be perfect, but it works," he said.

CPOW is a grassroots organization that represents the producer, "the cow-calf guy," he explained.

CPOW takes a stand on different issues, including those prudent to their members' livelihood and to their rights as ranchers and citizens.

Hair talked about the differences between systems proposed by the dairy industry and used by the beef industry.

The beef industry has a brand and the dairy industry wants to use a radio frequency tag.

A brand is registered under the owner's name and address, Hair explained. He uses a brand for his cattle and is the only person with that brand.

Some dairy owners have regular brands, but prefer not to use them as identification, Hair said.

They want to use radio frequency tags, which don't provide information about where the cow was born, raised, moved to or went to, Hair said.

Instead, the tag just gives information on the cow, he explained.

Hair contends the radio frequency tags are not true traceability.

"It's not a true traceability program," he said. "You can't track where that animal's been or where it's going. But a brand can be tracked."

There is a 15-head exception for dairy cattle, meaning producers don't call the state Department of Agriculture for 15 head or less for a brand inspection.

With beef cattle, any transaction requires a brand inspection, he said.

Blair Thompson, of the Washington Dairy Products Commission, said they feel the electronic system is probably more effective.

He acknowledged branding is a tradition in raising cattle in this country and some in the beef industry seem to think it is sufficient for their purposes.