What of Minnesota's Status Downgrade?
US - Last week Minnesota's status was downgraded due to a series of outbreaks of Bovine Tuberculosis. That move, which took effect immediately, places restrictions on the movement of cattle and bison from Minnesota to other states to further to prevent the spread of the disease.The primary impact will be a requirement for cattle producers to conduct increased testing and certification for all non-slaughter cattle that are shipped out of state.
The downgrade in Minnesota’s bovine TB status is a setback, especially in light of the way northern Minnesota cattle producers immediately stepped up to the plate to tackle the problem when the first infected herds were detected in 2005. But it is clearly the right action to take, along with other aggressive measures if we are going to eliminate this disease from the state.
In response to the new testing requirements, the state is applying to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for what is known as “split-state status.” If approved, the split status would allow the majority of the state to upgrade its status back to MAA, while a small region in northwest Minnesota where TB infections have been detected will remain MA.
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