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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky farmers are reminded that the deadline to have scrapie tags for all sheep and goats in the Commonwealth that change ownership or enter interstate commerce is July 1, 2006.
The Kentucky state veterinarian’s office implemented the deadline at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to comply with requirements for USDA’s Accelerated Scrapie Identification Program. The action was necessary for Kentucky to retain its Scrapie Consistent status with USDA. A change in Kentucky’s status would affect the ability of Kentucky sheep and goat producers to market their animals.
“The federal government in the near future will require identification of all animals entering commerce,” State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout said. “This is a rare opportunity for an entire industry to take action to secure the health and marketability of its animals.”
Producers who bring sheep and goats to a stockyards without tags after July 1 may be turned away or may be required to pay a fee to have their animals tagged.
Scrapie is a fatal degenerative disease that affects the nervous systems of sheep and goats. Producers can contact the USDA’s Frankfort office at (502) 227-9651 to order scrapie tags. The tags and taggers are provided at no charge within approximately three weeks.
To receive tags for sheep and goats, producers first must register their premises with the state. To register, go to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Web site, www.kyagr.com, or contact the state veterinarian’s office at (502) 564-3956.
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