North Dakota residents purchasing out of state live animals for processing must make sure the animals comply with the importation requirements of the State Board of Animal Health.
Due to recent meat plant closures, we are aware of individuals planning to purchase live animals, particularly swine, directly from out-of-state producers in order to process them says Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said.
Goehring wants to remind purchasers that the North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division can offer assistance to ensure the animals have the proper documentation to allow movement to take place.
State Veterinarian Dr. Susan Keller reminds purchaser that whether they are purchasing and importing one or more animals from out of state for food processing purposes, those animals need to meet the state’s import requirements unless they are going directly to a state or federal processing plant.
Livestock Industries Division Director Dr. Andrea Grondahl wants people be aware that many meat processors are already booked for several months, so nearby plants may not be able to get hogs or other livestock in on short notice and if the animal cannot be immediately processed, other options such as checking with other plants or arranging for holding the animal until it can be processed will need to be made.
Importation requirements and related information may be obtained from the Animal Health Division of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture at www.nd.gov/ndda/importrequirements or by calling 701-328-2655.
A list of North Dakota meat processors may be found at www.nd.gov/ndda/ndmeatprocessors.
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