INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Shippers outside Indiana wanting to move livestock into state borders newly have access to what may be an easier, more accurate way to log those animals with the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH).
It was early last year that BOAH instituted an online permitting system producers could use, with permission, to submit necessary livestock data for interstate movement, to be used largely with cattle and swine. Rather than calling the data in to the BOAH office, applicants can fill in a form themselves, ensuring more accurate information that can be added electronically to the state’s USAHERDS database.
Dr. Marianne Ash, director of BOAH’s Division of Animal Programs, reported at Thursday’s BOAH meeting there are a couple of new uses for the online system. One is for producers reporting movements as part of a commuter herd agreement, instead of receiving spreadsheets that have to be typed in by state workers; another is in the movement of large groups of young dairy cattle under condition their ID numbers are provided in electronic format to BOAH.
"We’re really trying hard to work with Indiana veterinarians and producers," she explained. "The adoption of the technology has moved very quickly."
USAHERDS is specific to Indiana as used by BOAH – but Ash said it’s similar software to what other states use for their livestock tracking, so if there is an emergency states can share information quickly. Besides individual shippers submitting data, the database is fed by information from Indiana livestock markets.
To that end, Dr. Maria Cooper with BOAH reported there are almost six livestock markets using wand reader or similar technology to log livestock moving through those locations. The tech varies at each location; USDA funds provide for basic equipment, but Cooper said some markets choose to upgrade beyond that at their own cost. Shipshewana, Topeka, Rockville and Rochester are online, and Logansport and Knightstown will be added soon. Cooper said Topeka and Shipshewana were first, and the others caught on "like dominoes." Besides reading and transmitting data to the state, Ash said this is helping those businesses in their own recordkeeping.
State Veterinarian Dr. Bret Marsh said beef and dairy groups are asking BOAH representatives to attend meetings again this winter to answer questions about the new federal ID tag program. The office is getting the most questions from dairy producers, some of whom protested last year that they felt requirements are unfairly stringent for their animals.
Nonetheless, Ash said so far, all manner of livestock producers seem conscientious about complying with the law. "We’re trying to work with producers so they feel comfortable calling us," she explained.
To learn more, visit www.in.gov/boah or call BOAH at 317-544-2400.