The North Dakota Department of Agriculture has unveiled a new, voluntary program to help market North Dakota beef domestically and overseas.
The Verified Livestock Program will enable cow-calf producers and cattle feeders to verify the age and source of their animals using an electronic ID tag that contains the North Dakota logo and numbers specific to individual producers.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says the program is simple, quick and producer friendly.The program will be provided through a USDA-approved firm called Ag Info Link.
The cost of the program for producers is $2.75 per electronic tag. Feedlots can enroll for 275-dollars a year. Goehring says some cattlemen are already receiving a premium for their animals because they are age and source verified. He says the state’s program will dovetail with existing programs.
Source: 
Courtesy of Al Gustin
Posted by Haylie Shipp
