Tennessee Enforces Transportation of Livestock Law
New animal transport laws for goat identification helps eliminate scrapie in livestock.
A new law, called the Transportation of Livestock law, was recently put in place by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) to identify goats that are transported within the state of Tennessee.
This new law will help create consistency with surrounding states and with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Traceability and Scrapie rule, which allows for the traceability and facilitation of interstate movement of goats. This new law is for identification purposes only, identifying animals that have been affected with the scrapie disease – a fatal, degenerative disease that impacts the central nervous systems of sheep and goats. Moreover, there are no additional testing or reporting requirements related to scrapie, and while scrapie is not contagious to humans, there is no current cure for the disease in animals and livestock.
What is a Scrapie Tag?
The National Scrapie Eradication Program (NSEP) provides scrapie tags, as the most commonly used form of identifying goats. Tennessee sheep and goat producers can order this metal ear tag for free by calling the local USDA office. The NSEP has reduced the scrapie disease in adult sheep sampled at slaughter by more than 99 percent. Sheep and goat producers are encouraged to enroll in the NSEP to continue the activity of tagging livestock as a critical way to maintain traceability and eliminate the few remaining cases of scrapie in the United States. More information about sheep and goat identification requirements, as well as the NSEP and transportation of livestock laws, can be found here.
At AgAmerica Lending we know how important it is to keep your livestock healthy and safe for the sustainability of your operation. Complying with the transportation of livestock laws of your state is a necessary step to keeping you and other farmer’s operations successful for the long-term. If you need to make upgrades to your agricultural operation in order to stay up-to-date with current laws, contact us today to learn how our custom loan packages can help.
