USDA proposes standards for privately owned quarantine facilities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposes standards for the approval, operation and oversight of private quarantine facilities for ruminants.
The agency has standards for private quarantine facilities specializing in sheep and goats, but not for other ruminants, such as cattle, buffaloes, deer, antelopes, camels, llamas and giraffes.
“Based on recent interest in establishing such facilities for cattle, we are proposing standards for privately owned quarantine facilities covering all ruminants,” APHIS said.
With the exception of Mexico and Canada, U.S. import regulations require imported ruminants to be quarantined upon arrival for at least 30 days.
The agency will take comments on its proposed standards through Oct. 27. For more information, contact Arnaldo Vaquer of the APHIS National Center for Import and Export at (301) 734-3277.