Advancing Animal Disease Traceability

(ADT) Road Map for

US Virgin Islands

A Three-Year Plan

Submitted by:

DR. BETHANY BRADFORD

DIRECTOR OF VETERINARY SERVICES

VIRGIN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

RR1 Box 10345

Estate Lower Love, Kingshill, VI 00850 

(340) 642-7320 

Submitted to:

DR. TOWANA GUINYARD

AREA VETERINARIAN FOR SC/USVI

VETERINARY SERVICES

ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

9600 Two Notch Road, STE 10

Columbia, SC 29223

(803) 462-2910

Date: 9/22/2022
Table of Contents

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY _________________________________________________________________ 3

II. CURRENT TRACEABILITY SITUATION ______________________________________________________ 3

2.1 Who are we?_____________________________________________________________________ 3

2.2 Where are we now? _______________________________________________________________ 4

2.3 Strengths and Weaknesses _________________________________________________________ 5

2.4 Opportunities and Threats __________________________________________________________ 5

2.5 Inventory of existing infrastructure and suitability assessment _____________________________ 6

III. VISION AND MISSION CONTEXT FOR ADVANCING TRACEABILITY ______________________________ 6

3.1 Vision Statement _________________________________________________________________ 6

3.2 Mission Statement ________________________________________________________________ 6

IV. TRACEABILITY REQUIREMENTS __________________________________________________________ 7

2.1 Strategic goal(s) __________________________________________________________________ 7

4.2 Programmatic goals (objectives) _____________________________________________________ 7

4.3 ADT Trace Performance Measures (TPMs) _____________________________________________ 7

4.4 Data requirements ________________________________________________________________ 8

4.5 Information technology plan ________________________________________________________ 9

4.6 Resource requirements_____________________________________________________________ 9

4.7 Organizational needs ______________________________________________________________ 9

4.7.1 Executive support ______________________________________________________________ 9

4.7.2 Coordination and oversight procedures _____________________________________________ 9

4.7.3 Policy _______________________________________________________________________ 10

4.7.4 Staffing ______________________________________________________________________ 11

4.7.5 Budget requirements___________________________________________________________ 11

4.7.6 Outreach (required to be addressed within the Road Map) ____________________________ 11

4.8 Monitoring and reporting interstate movement activity _________________________________ 11

V. ADVANCING TRACEABILITY ____________________________________________________________ 11

5.1 Ranking of priorities for advancement _______________________________________________ 11

5.2 Implementation of objectives ______________________________________________________ 12
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Virgin Islands is a small US Territory located in the eastern Caribbean. It is made 

up of three islands St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. St. Croix is a rural area of 

rolling hills with a long history of agriculture. St. Thomas and St. John have steep 

terrain and an economy based on tourism.

The population of the Virgin Islands is widely diverse with people from throughout 

the Caribbean, the United States mainland as well Europe and the Middle East. The 

Territory is a border of the United States. 

The Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) is mandated to protect the 

public health and food supply by providing veterinary services to livestock, regulating 

imported and exported animals and educating farmers. The small division of 

Veterinary Services (VIDA VS) has oversight on livestock, horses, and poultry health 

and welfare as well as issues involving companion animals.

These small islands include intricate networks of farmers and animal owners who are 

connected by family and geography. Local knowledge of farms and animal owners 

and stakeholders is an integral part of our day’s work. The Animal Disease 

Traceability program has greatly assisted with the building and maintenance of a 

livestock and farmer database through supportive funding and expert personnel from 

USDA. VIDA VS is the primary supplier and implementor of animal identification 

and registration in the Territory.

Federal animal health programs have supplied much of the cost of RFID tags and 

microchips. Cost of visual tags is largely covered by VIDA budget.

All livestock and horses entering or leaving the island Territory of the USVI are 

regulated by VIDA. This includes RFID tagging, microchipping and import permits.

II. CURRENT TRACEABILITY SITUATION

2.1 Who are we?

VIDA VS provides veterinary services to all farmers, regulates 

import/exports and responds to stray animal reports. We examine over 

1,000 animals every month including pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and 

poultry. Regular farm visits are scheduled daily and include tagging, 

registration of animals and farms, tick spraying services and veterinary 

medical services. We also implement federal animal health programs such 
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as avian health surveillance, traceability, and recently African Swine Fever 

Surveillance and Tropical Bont Tick Eradication with support from USDA.

2.2 Where are we now?

VIDA educates farmers and horse owners and poultry owners on animal

health and management issues. We work with the ubiquitous game bird 

populations to educate, to improve biosecurity and to register all poultry 

premises.

Farm premises information is held in the Access database and is available 

24/7 by authorized VIDA VS staff.

VIDA VS currently serves nearly 480 animal owners and premises. 85% of 

these farm premises have been identified and registered. The information 

collected includes owner contact information, species on the premises, 

tagged animals, geophysical coordinates, and physical location. This 

information is continually being collected by VIDA VS and submitted to 

EMRS specialist when applicable.

With the discovery of Bont Tick on a farm in April 2021, VIDA has sought 

support from USDA in performing surveillance on the 55 premises and 

2,000 livestock and horses following a treatment plan with various 

modalities.

With the diagnosis of African Swine Fever in the Dominican Republic and 

Haiti in August 2021, USVI has been designated a Protection Zone. This 

designation has created a robust swine farm surveillance program of all 33 

swine premises throughout the Territory with major support from USDA.

These two surveillance programs have generated much appreciated support 

in updating and improving USVI farm premises data in EMRS and 

maintaining current tagging and registration of animals and premises.

Feed shops, veterinarians, abattoirs, racetracks, and animal exhibit areas 

have all been identified. There are no livestock markets in the Virgin 

Islands.

The avian health surveillance program also ensures compliance with 

enhancing traceability each year. At each surveillance visit, premises 

information is updated. Most of the poultry premises are backyard 

gamebirds.

VIDA VS is responsible for tagging and registration and is the only official 

tagging station in the USVI. Owners do not tag their own animals generally 

and there are no active livestock groups or markets in the territory who 
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provide this service. No one has requested to become an official tagging 

station. Local veterinarians are not involved with livestock.

2.3 Strengths and Weaknesses

VIDA VS is dependent on and benefits from its staff who have personal and 

trusting relationships with the farmers and horse owners and poultry owners 

in the territory. Outreach to animal owners to update information and 

register premises is on-going.

The major problem facing VIDA is the lack of veterinary staff in the St. 

Thomas district. There are no veterinarians or staff specifically assigned to 

veterinary services. It is very difficult to maintain the tagging of animals 

and registration of farms and premises. Tagging of animals is not done as 

completely as needed.

Providing uniform services on each island is difficult. Resources, supplies 

and equipment must often be duplicated for each island. Lack of staff and 

other resources hampers ability of VIDA VS to complete tasks in St. 

Thomas/St. John district. 

The VI Government Administrative system poses major challenges to 

purchasing equipment and travel.

Lack of infrastructure on farms increases the difficulty of handling and 

treating animals and is unsafe for staff and animals.

2.4 Opportunities and Threats

Much human and animal traffic occurs daily throughout the USVI and 

Caribbean region. Introduction of a disease or pest is a potential problem. 

Smuggling of animals through charter flights and boats is a constant threat. 

VIDA VS works with Customs and Border Protection to decrease this 

threat.

Hurricanes are the most serious natural disaster threat to USVI. In 

September 2017, two Category 5 hurricanes devastated all three islands, and 

we are still in recovery.

Stray horses are a constant problem in the Territory and are the cause of 

about 6 car accidents a year. The current traceability program greatly assists 

VIDA VS in identifying those animals and owners involved.
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There is little support or assistance locally for livestock farmers or horse 

owners in preparing for disasters. There are no CARTS and no attention is 

paid to animal welfare or health risks in the three major animal populations: 

livestock, horses and companion animals. There are no livestock 

associations or farm bureaus to assist farmers. This is a major gap in 

disaster preparedness and recovery.

Lists of farmers and horse owners as well as horse identification information 

are printed out twice a year and kept in each of the VIDA VS vehicles.

VIDA VS has an adequate supply of microchips and official RFID tags 

purchases with traceability funding. A wand reader has also been 

purchased.

2.5 Inventory of existing infrastructure and suitability assessment

VIDA VS is a small four-person team located on the island of St. Croix. 

VIDA VS provides veterinary services daily to farmers and is responsible 

for tagging animals, impounding stray animals to protect motorists and for 

regulating all imported animals as well as acting as the lead in all farmer 

and livestock and horse issues. The database is the central component of 

VIDA VS and the implementation of traceability.

With support from USDA through the Bont Tick Eradication Program and 

African Swine Fever Surveillance, the daily information collected by VIDA 

VS is kept current in EMRS. We have about 80% of the VI farms completed. 

The database is continually being updated with new animal information as 

well as new farm information. Storage of the data base is held in an external 

hard drive. The data is backed up daily. Information is available during 

work hours and may be accessed by two of the VIDA VS staff if needed 

anytime.

III. VISION AND MISSION CONTEXT FOR ADVANCING TRACEABILITY

3.1 Vision Statement

VIDA VS recognizes the importance of enhancing traceability as an 

element of protecting animal health and will continue toward the goal of 

identifying and mapping all livestock and horse farms and premises in the 

USVI.

3.2 Mission Statement
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To continue to enhance traceability in the USVI with the support and 

understanding of the farmers and agriculture stakeholders.

IV. TRACEABILITY REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Strategic goal(s)

The goal is to identify all farms and premises and maintain an active data 

base of premises and animals.

4.2 Programmatic goals (objectives)

 Horses are microchipped with AVID microchips as required by Virgin 

Islands law and registered in the VIDA VS database. Transfer of 

ownership is done through VIDA VS to be legally recognized.

 Cattle, sheep, and goats are tagged as required by law by owner request 

or by VIDA VS request 

 All exported animals are identified with official RFID 840 tags.

 All cattle are identified with official RFID 840 tags.

 All tag and microchip numbers are submitted to the database daily. 

 New farms and animals are identified and added to the database and 

submitted to EMRS specialist

 Farms are assigned a local identification number.

 Continue to educate farmers and horse and poultry owners to register 

their farms and animals with VIDA.

4.3 ADT Trace Performance Measures (TPMs)

 Number of farms and premises identified (percentage of whole).

 Number of animals identified (percentage of whole).

 Number of farms and premises with GPS information and PINs 

(percentage of whole). 
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 This information is reported quarterly to USDA.

 Number of animals imported and ICVIs received. VIDA VS will 

continue to report all CVI information by species and official RFID tags 

distributed.

 USVI rarely exports livestock or horses to the US. Horses and livestock 

are required to quarantine in Puerto Rico. All import movement 

requires an import permit. Horses are the most commonly imported 

animal. Cattle are not imported and only one or two goats or sheep 

occasionally are moved to USVI. 

 Traceability exercises and resulting performance measures cannot be 

completed because of the actual situation that USVI does not import or 

export cattle.

4.4 Data requirements

 VIDA VS updates, maintains, and stores information within the Access 

database. Data is shared with police and victims of vehicular accidents 

involving stray livestock, especially horses. 

 USVI information is regularly updated in EMRS as part of the Bont Tick 

Eradication Program and African Swine Fever Surveillance Program.

 Advancing traceability is enhanced daily with farm visits and tagging 

and registration. VIDA VS tags and microchips livestock and horses in 

the VI. All tags are secured in the VIDA VS office. VIDA VS is the 

only official tagging station and no requests have been received for 

another entity to be a tagging station.

 Official tags are used for cattle and any export animals and are only used 

by VIDA VS.

 The one abattoir in St. Croix is managed by VIDA and abattoir staff 

record all animals entering the facility. 

 There are no livestock markets or associations in the VI.

 All imported livestock have import permits and are registered and 

cleared by VIDA VS through the airports and marine ports. Horses are 

most common animal imported.
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 Horses are occasionally exported to the US under 9 CFR 72 regulations 

for the cattle fever tick.

 Farms and premises are given a local identification number by VIDA 

VS. 

 EMRS specialists submit USVI data and PINs are assigned.

 Information of farms includes owners, physical location, and species 

present, and identified animals.

4.5 Information technology plan

VIDA will continue to use the technology available to us.

4.6 Resource requirements

Support of the EMRS specialist through the federal programs is essential to 

advancing traceability. VIDA VS does not have an IT person or have the 

staff or expertise to work in EMRS.

The database is located at VIDA VS in St. Croix. Internet connection is 

currently supported by ADT.

4.7 Organizational needs

No needs are required. USVI has no oversight committee and does not need 

one. No additional resources are needed to implement ADT.

4.7.1 Executive support

Not needed.

4.7.2 Coordination and oversight procedures

 Retrieval of information is available 24/7 by authorized VIDA 

VS staff.

 VIDA VS shares information with stakeholders.

 VITEMA is the local territorial emergency management 

agency. Despite hurricanes in 2017 there is little preparation 

in place to accommodate the populations of companion 

animals, livestock and horses in disaster response and 
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recovery. Coordination of agencies and other responders has 

been a subject of various trainings in the past hosted by VIDA 

VS but more work needs to be done in this area. 

 Assistance is needed from FEMA and USDA to support local 

networking between emergency responders. VIDA has been 

marginally effective in forming local coordination.

 VIDA will receive $11,529 for traceability in 2023. This 

adequately supports VIDA VS in traceability requirements 

with the staff available. 

 VIDA VS provides outreach and training for farmers and 

animal owners. Any livestock issue involves VIDA VS at 

some level. The daily farm visits are our most effective

outreach tool. At that time, farmers have time to discuss issues 

with the veterinary staff.

 VIDA VS displays ADT related information at the two local 

agriculture fairs and through social media and news releases.

 Feed stores and veterinarians are aware of VIDA programs and 

VI Code laws and regulations through letters, posters, news 

releases and personal contact. 

 There is one private practitioner who works with livestock and 

horses occasionally and is accredited.

 VIDA VS provides all the veterinary medical support to 

livestock and horses.

 VIDA VS is the only entity that tags livestock and microchips 

horses and regulates imports and exports.

 Most local veterinarians are using electronic ICVIs for dogs 

and cats. 

 VIDA VS works with the one abattoir (also under VIDA) to 

educate staff to biosecurity, disease risks, and traceability. The 

abattoir shares information with VIDA VS.

4.7.3 Policy

VI Code requires identification of all livestock over 2 months old.
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4.7.4 Staffing

VI Department of Agriculture implements all tagging and 

microchipping of all livestock and horses. 

4.7.5 Budget requirements

Additional funding is not needed. See the ADT Work and 

Financial plan for more information 

4.7.6 Outreach (required to be addressed within the Road Map)

At both agriculture fairs, VIDA shows posters about ADT. 

4.7.6.1 Accredited veterinarians

Not applicable. No one outside of VIDA tags or 

microchips animals.

4.7.6.2 Slaughter plants

Maintains records of all animals brought to the 

abattoir. 

4.7.6.3 Industry as a whole

This is a small island community. VIDA regularly 

and routinely works with all livestock farmers. 

4.8 Monitoring and reporting interstate movement activity 

All animals require an import permit to enter USVI. We are islands, there 

is limited movement interstate. All data is reported in ADT monthly report. 

V. ADVANCING TRACEABILITY 

5.1 Ranking of priorities for advancement

Assigning PINs: We have completed 85% of registered farms and will have 

a goal of increase 5% each year. We continue with our daily visits and 

tagging animals, registering new farms, maintaining the database and 

educating farmers and horse owners. 

Tagging animals: VIDA VS schedules farm visits as owners request them. 

VIDA VS will contact livestock owners bi-annually if needed to tag 

animals. Tagging of animals is mandated by VI Code. Farmers on 
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government leased lands are required in their lease to tag animals. Animal 

owners are cooperative. The farm census for each farm visit is updated 

weekly.

Imports: VIDA VS issues permits for animal imports which enforces 

traceability implementation. Animals must arrive by boat or plane only. 

Educating Industry: Goats and sheep farms are abundant in various sized 

herds throughout the territory. There are two horse racing tracks both of 

which are currently being repaired and not functional. There is an extensive 

game cock industry. There are no cooperatives or associations within the 

private sector. Owners are largely educated through outreach by news 

releases from VIDA VS farm visits, and participation in animal health 

surveillance programs and fair displays. 

Funding for Implementation: the current funding is adequate with the VIDA 

VS staff available to continue traceability in the USVI.

5.2 Implementation of objectives

 Focus on St. Thomas and St. John district post-COVID- plan visits twice 

a year to that district by St. Croix based staff specifically for traceability 

and collecting premise information. 

 Continue collecting information in St. Croix on daily farm visits. 

 Continued submission of information to EMRS specialists for support 

of federal animal health programs.