On Monday, over 400 cattle producers gathered and hundreds more joined online for the Livestock Producers Freedom Rally.
Producers from nine states were represented at the rally as they joined together in opposition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS’) final rule mandating the use of electronic identification (EID) eartags on adult cattle shipped across state lines.
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming kicked off the event. Hageman stated that this mandate is an effort by the government to control cattle producers and to foster a fully integrated livestock industry that will force the small and independent producers out of business as producers will likely be denied access to the market for cattle that are not in compliance with the mandate.
Presentations were also heard from South Dakota state Rep. Marty Overweg, Wyoming state Rep. Chip Neiman, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard, “Feeder Flash” host Corbitt Wall, and United States Cattlemen’s Association President Justin Tupper.
During his presentation, Bullard announced that R-CALF USA and the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, along with several area ranchers, will be filing a lawsuit against the USDA’s EID mandate with the help of the New Civil Liberties Alliance.
Bullard said that his organization has exhausted all available remedies with USDA, which has summarily ignored their concerns; and that they continue to urge Congress to step up and help block this burdensome and independence-robbing rule by passing H.J.Res.167, S.J.Res.98, and S.4282.
“We will soon be asking our third branch of government – the U.S. judicial system, to intervene to protect the freedom, liberty, and independence of the American rancher,” said Bullard. “As unfortunate as it is that we must fight our own government to preserve the independence of our U.S. cattle producers, the time to do so is now.”
Also at the rally, the group launched a petition drive to further demonstrate the mass opposition to the EID mandate from across the industry. All producers and industry stakeholders can sign the petition at www.StopMandatoryEID.com.