By Jamie Martin
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has launched a program that will provide no-cost RFID eartags for sow and exhibition swine beginning in fall 2025. This new program is aimed at strengthening national disease traceability systems and ensuring greater security for the swine industry.
APHIS has contracted Merck Animal Health to supply up to $20 million worth of tags over a five-year period. Modeled after the successful no-cost cattle tag initiative, this program emphasizes the importance of rapid response in disease investigations. By tracing animals quickly and accurately, officials can reduce the spread of disease and minimize financial impacts on producers and communities.
Producers and state animal health officials will be able to order tags directly from Merck via the website www.840swinetags.com. In a new approach, tags will be shipped straight from the manufacturer to producers, eliminating delays and simplifying distribution.
To qualify, producers must provide a premises identification number, shipping details, and the number of swine on-site—either sows for commercial operations or show pigs for exhibitions. State animal health agencies may also request tags based on their state’s sow populations.
While the RFID tags are provided at no cost, a compatible applicator is required and not included in the program. More details on ordering, eligibility, and distribution guidelines can be found on USDA’s official swine identification page.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: National