Dairy farmer encourages support of Bovine TB test-and-removal program

Dairy farmer Cliff Tulgestke of Hawks went before members of the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners to share concerns about possible new United States Department of Agriculture regulations that he believes could threaten the livelihood of agriculture producers across northern Michigan. He also said the ripple effect could be far reaching for farm suppliers. If anyone believes that bovine tuberculosis has been eliminated from the wildlife and domestic livestock, because the issue has been quiet for a while, they would be mistaken. The problems may be worse than ever, said Tulgestke.

THE USDA is pushing for more stringent bovine TB testing requirements and are considering a test of every animal headed to slaughter and the elimination of the test-and-removal program. ?MDA (Michigan Department of Agriculture) has been fighting this, but they don?t know if they can be successful,? said Tulgestke. He said animal agriculture in the affected 11 counties in northern Michigan cannot survive. ?USDA is already depopulating an area in Texas. They made a decision to buy them out. This is a possibility here.? USDA is reviewing its policy of providing options to agriculture producers. Currently, beef and dairy producers can either depopulate or agree to a test and removal program. A current proposal under consideration at the state and federal is to eliminate the test-and-removal option. A MDA spokesperson said the current system affects the state?s TB status, which currently stands at modified?accredited.

THE ADDITION of seven herds that tested positive for TB last winter, with two already in a test-and-removal program, could put the state at a lower level. The status was being negotiated in meetings being conducted in Riverdale, Maryland Tuesday between officials from MDA and USDA. The spokesperson did add that the situation in Texas would not be repeated in Michigan because there are too many players involved. The Texas situation does not include wildlife being infected with the disease. The goal of MDA is to get closer to the goal of being able to submit an application for a higher status for Michigan, but at the same time not put ag producers out of business. Bovine tuberculosis was first found in a Presque Isle County deer in 1995. Michigan is not alone in the battle against bovine TB, as Minnesota is about to go through what Michigan has been experiencing for more than a decade. For dairy farmers, who spend years developing their herd, the test and removal program is the best option to maintain the quality of milk, and Tulgestke asked the county board to support the test and removal program that has been in place for several years.

JUST RECENTLY, an Alpena County dairy farmer decided against the four-and-a-half year test and removal program and chose to depopulate and discontinue their business. A USDA review team from Washington D.C.

has scheduled a visit with officials from MDA in November to discuss what is working in the state. There has been strong discussion from the USDA about adopting a policy that would require the removal of all animals in a designated area to eradicate the disease. ?I have been involved in working with the group,? said Dave Glenn, Presque Isle County?s Michigan University Extension director. ?Phil Durst is our dairy agent out of Oscoda County, through extension, and I have been working with a group of northern Michigan farmers on this. We are currently putting together some information while working with this group.?

?WE?RE TRYING to be proactive in getting some support from our local commissioners,? he said. Tulgestke was planning to contact local state representatives. He stressed the potential economic impact in Presque Isle County, saying that some herds are worth as much as $1 million. Investors have looked elsewhere, such as Wisconsin, because of the presence of bovine TB in the area. ?I support what Dave and Cliff are doing,? said Bill Valentine, executive director of the County Development Commission/Economic Development Corporation. ?Our office is also involved in job retention and helping businesses grow in this county. We are coordinating with them to see what we can do to identify grants and other opportunities to help our local farmers. As you know, we are working with some other livestock-related cooperatives and businesses.? Tulgestke agreed to come back at a future county board meeting to give an update.