Board of Animal Health
USDA to upgrade majority of MN to TB-free in October, upgrade in status reduces requirements and costs for most MN cattle and bison producers
From the Board of Animal Health:
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Nearly five years after detecting bovine tuberculosis (TB) in northwestern Minnesota, the Board of Animal Health has received notification that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will upgrade the majority of Minnesota to TB-Free in October 2010.
With the approval of Minnesota's status upgrade application, a large part of the state will be classified TBFree and a smaller section of northwestern Minnesota will be upgraded from Modified Accredited (MA) to Modified Accredited Advanced (MAA).
"This is the next step in moving our entire state towards becoming TB-Free," said Minnesota Board of Animal Health Executive Director and State Veterinarian Dr. Bill Hartmann. " Livestock producers, our staff, numerous state agencies, the USDA, and so many others have been working tirelessly to get this job done. We remain committed to eliminating this disease once and for all."
MN Farmers Union reacts to state legislative session
St. Paul (May 20, 2009) - Minnesota Farmer Union (MFU) saw positive action on many fronts this year at the state capitol during the 2009 legislative session which adjourned on Monday May 18.
"We were pleased that there were positive results for our priorities, including changes to the Green Acres Program; extension of the Farmer-Lender Program; and $35 million for the Rural Finance Authority," said Doug Peterson, MN Farmers Union President. "However, the fact that the Legislature did not pass an overall budget is of concern. It is now up to Governor Tim Pawlenty to makes cuts. Farmers are very concerned about high and rising property taxes, and the Governor needs to consider the impact on landowners when making these budget decisions."
The budget for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) took reasonable cuts during the legislative session. Governor Pawlenty will make further cuts to the state budget through the unallotment process, where funding for these departments could be further reduced. In addition, MFU is very concerned about the impact the unallotment process could have on property taxes; cuts to Local Government Aid (LGA); and assistance for hospitals and nursing homes.