Agricultural News
Farm Bureau Demands Emergency Rulemaking to Stop Feral Hog Transport in Oklahoma
Fri, 20 Mar 2015 11:19:54 CDT
The state's largest farm organization is calling upon the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to immediately enact emergency rules to stop the movement of wild hogs in Oklahoma.
"We believe ODAFF has the regulatory authority to take immediate action today to stop movement of these feral swine," said Tom Buchanan, president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau. "ODAFF should take action by using their emergency rulemaking power. We must stop the transportation of these wild hogs. Our multibillion-dollar agriculture industry is at risk from disease spread by and damage caused these feral hogs."
Several large agriculture groups oppose any movement of live feral swine in the state.
"Feral hogs carry diseases that can be transmitted to domestic livestock and destroy property, and we simply cannot take that risk," Buchanan said.
"In addition to the documented disease hazard of wild hogs to the domestic pork industry, the same animal health testing rules that FFA and 4-H members are required to meet should be required of anyone moving hogs in Oklahoma," Buchanan said. "This illegal movement activity puts the ability of Oklahoma pork producers to provide a safe, consumable product, at risk."
The Farm Bureau action was prompted by an incident this week where a Broken Bow resident was arrested on complaints of moving 117 feral hogs from Texas into Oklahoma. More than 50 percent of the feral swine involved in this case tested positive for pseudorabies. The feral swine had also been treated with sustained-release oxy-tetracycline as well as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent. One of the drugs used to treat the feral hogs before transport is not approved for use in swine.
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