By Andrea Cantu-Schomus
Oregon Department of Agriculture,
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has finalized rules to increase brand inspection fees, effective October 1, 2024. Livestock inspections are required in Oregon for cattle, whether branded or not, to validate ownership when there is a change of ownership, before shipment out of state, before sale at auction, and before slaughter.
ODA Fee Changes:
• Brand inspection per head fee is increasing to $1.15 to $1.35 per head (20 cent increase).
• Codified the hourly ($50 an hour) and mileage charges for “no show” inspections.
• Additionally, in cases where an inspector is unable to start their inspection at the scheduled time or has a significant interruption in their work during an applicant’s inspection, the
Department may charge an hourly fee ($50/hour) to assist in paying for the inspector’s lost time.
The hourly charges were introduced as an incentive to eliminate inspector waiting time and make the program more efficient overall. The rulemaking and fee increases have been reviewed and created in consultation with a Brands Advisory Committee consisting of a broad cross-section of the beef industry, including the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, Oregon Dairy Farmer’s Association, Livestock Auction yards, Beef Feed lots, stockyards, and custom meat processors.
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