After 10 months of supply-chain issues, hog farmers are once again able to get normal-time delivery of ear tags that are necessary for the mandatory PigTRACE program.
Jeff Clark, who is director for the program, said there were no major disruptions to the flow of pigs throughout the shortage but plenty of dancing to avoid problems.
The main challenge was cull sows, most of them shipped to packing plants in the United States and therefore requiring the ear tags.
“We were definitely scrambling to find supply and through that period of time, prioritizing orders that were extremely urgent,” Clark said. Farmers faced fines if their sows lacked an ear tag.
The beef industry also had a supply challenge earlier this year.
In September, Allflex’s parent company, Merk Animal Health, opened a new manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to complement its plant at Dallas, Texas.
