At a recent meeting of the State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) in Bismarck, North Dakota, changes were made to the requirements for imported feeder heifers and dairy cattle. The board decided to remove the official identification requirement for imported feeder heifers under 18 months old. Additionally, they lifted tuberculosis (TB) testing requirements for dairy cattle entering from TB-free states.
Breeding cattle of any age will still need official identification on their certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) to enter North Dakota. A permit is required unless the CVI is electronic.
State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress commented on these changes, stating, “Due to the federal Animal Disease Traceability rule, official identification placed after Nov. 5, 2024, must be electronically readable.” He added that with limited availability of radio-frequency identification tags, the board has removed this requirement for younger feeder heifers.
Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring explained the rationale behind these decisions: “After considering information presented by industry representatives and veterinarians, the board determined that these changes presented negligible risk to animal health in North Dakota.”
Further details about these requirements can be found at https://www.ndda.nd.gov/beefrequirements.
