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Starting November Fifth, farmers and ranchers will be required to use electronic identification for their cattle, rather than just traditional ear tags. The Department of Agriculture says it's about safety, but it's actually about control.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told KTRH, "This is just overkill. This is just another way the government can track your business. I mean, it's just too much. It's too much big brother. It's not needed."
Miller says the reality is, this new rule is just going to wind up hurting small family farmers. He said, "90+ percent of the farms in the United States are family farms. It's just another unnecessary burden on the small family farmer."
These new tags will be an added cost for those farmers, who already operate on extremely tight margins. Over 40 organizations are now urging Congress to put a stop to this, including several different groups based here in Texas. You can read their letter here.