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Johnson City – Blanco County Farm Bureau S-T Adrian Schulze is urging local livestock producers to do their part when it comes to adhering with the new country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law that went into effect Septemper 30.

COOL is a USDA marketing program mandated by the Farm Bill which requires retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef (including veal), goat meat, lamb, pork, poultry, fish and other perishable agricultural commodities.

“Although the law asks no specifics of producers, the cattle industry was at a loss when it came to verifying country of origin when livestock entered the food chain,” Schulze said.

As a result, more than 30 livestock industry organizations met recently to develop affidavit forms that simply and efficiently fulfill the production segments’ responsibilities under the COOL law. The result was the development of an affidavit which producers may sign to declare the origin of the cattle they enter into the production chain, which industry professionals agreed was adequate to satisfy the information needs of the beef production segments on the way to the retail meat case.

“The forms may be used by producers of any size, from truckload to single calf sales at the local market,” Schulze said. “Plus, the sale barn can hang on to those forms for future livestock sales with the same producer, meaning once you fill the form out at the local sale barn, you’ll be taken care of.”

Forms and more information may be found at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association website at www.texascattleraisers.org.