Producers Must Meet Importation Requirements
US - The North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian and State Board of Animal Health are reminding producers that any cattle brought into the state must be officially identified.According to the State Board of Animal Health, official identification includes:
- Brucellosis vaccination tags, which are orange
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service official metal identification tags, which are silver
- Legible breed-registered tattoos
- USDA-approved radio frequency identification or International Organization for Standardization-compliant numbers
- National Dairy Herd Improvement Association tags
“It's important that cattle capable of entering the breeding herd be accurately identified,” says Charlie Stoltenow, NDSU Extension veterinarian and consulting veterinarian to the board. “The most important reason is that they can be located in the event of an animal health emergency. It is also important to note that it is the livestock community that desires these requirements as a means of protecting the public and animals.”
Source: Minnesota Farm Guide