North Dakota Could Lift TB Ban on Minnesota
US - North Dakota's Board of Animal Health could decide this week whether to change import restrictions on Minnesota cattle that have been in place for nearly a year.According to Agri News, Minnesota's Board of Animal Health says officials in that state have not openly lobbied for the restrictions to be lifted.
However, they have been helping North Dakota with information on the bovine tuberculosis situation in northwestern Minnesota.
The North Dakota board is holding its quarterly meeting this week and the state restrictions are due to be raised for discussion.
The board imposed the restrictions in February because of bovine TB in northwestern Minnesota cattle and wild deer. In October, the federal Agriculture Department granted Minnesota "split state status" for bovine TB, which lessened testing requirements for all cattle producers in the state except those in parts of four northwestern counties where the disease has been found.
However, North Dakota's Board of Animal Health historically has not recognised split-state designations because of concerns over the monitoring and surveillance of the disease.
The North Dakota board imposed the measures in a bid to maintain the state's Bovine Tuberculosis free status.
Further Reading
- | Find out more information on Bovine Tuberculosis by clicking here. |
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