MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- You might be surprised to learn that the Tennessee Department of Agriculture has its own police force. It’s a small contingent of nine criminal investigators that handle cases of cattle rustling and other farm related crimes.
Ag Investigators also monitor the movement of livestock, something that impacts every Tennessean, even those who’ve never stepped foot on a farm.
WMOT News recently had a chance to ride along with Ag Investigator Phillip Fedun as he patrolled Highway 231 just outside Shelbyville. With the blue lights flashing on his unmarked patrol car, Officer Fedun pulled over a pickup pulling a livestock trailer.
Once safely stopped on the side, Fedun peaked into the back of the trailer, then asked the driver for his livestock paperwork. The driver was moving a single horse from East Tennessee to a stables in Bedford County. He had the required certificate proving the horse is healthy, so Fedun sent him on his way.
If there had been cattle in the trailer, especially cattle from out of state, the stop might have gone very differently. State and federal officials are getting serious about tracking livestock across state lines.
“The only way we can trace the animals, both backwards and forwards, is through identification,” Tennessee State Veterinarian, Dr. Charlie Hatcher explained to WMOT during a recent phone interview. “The main reason for this traceability rule has always been and will continue to be, for tracing purposes in the event of a disease process.”
Livestock producers have long been required to track animals being moved around the country. Tracking insures health officials can determine the source of any disease, especially outbreaks that threaten the nation’s food supply. Dr. Hatcher admits enforcement has been lax in the past, but last summer the State of Tennessee put producers on notice that it’s time to get serious about tracking.
“Being that it historically hasn’t been enforced very well, either by state or federal animal health officials, that’s why we’ve had the educational period that we’ve had. We’ve had at least a six month period that we’ve tried to get the word out to those that may not be familiar with it,” Hatcher said.
Charles Hord is Executive Vice President of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association. WMOT tagged along as he went to check on cows and calves his family pastures on the north side of Murfreesboro. Hord says producers are generally comfortable with strong traceability enforcement. Given the way livestock can now be moved cross-country in a matter of hours, producers worry what a serious disease outbreak might cost them.”
“If a disease outbreak occurred in Kansas,” Hord says, “we may not know that that cow was back-grounded on a wheat farm in Illinois, we may not know that it originated on a farm in Alabama, and that that was the place where we needed to focus our efforts.”
Hord says he doesn’t expect enforcement to be too much of a burden for producers. He notes that while Tennessee ships a lot of cattle, most are calves headed to feedlots in other states where they’re fattened for slaughter.
“It really will not affect the average cow-calf producer - which is what we are - too much. There are some exemptions for cattle that are under 18 months of age and normally when we market our calves, they’re under that age group.”
But back on Highway 231, Officer Fedun does expect to be handing out more citations. He says that it’s not unusual to stop a semi-tractor and trailer hauling dozens of animals with no paper work at all. Brokers will buy cattle in Tennessee, load them on a truck, put them on the road headed west, and only then begin trying to find a buyer in another state.
“It happens a lot,” Fedun says. “They’re in the process of trying to find out which buyer will give them the most money, or whoever needs them the most. Eventually they’ll (the drivers) get the call and head to the destination.”
That business model m ay need to change, or State Vet Charlie Hatcher says producers and brokers can expect some stiff penalties.
“They’re subject to civil penalties, and-or criminal charges punishable by up to $2500, or imprisonment up to 11 months and 29 days for each violation.”
Hatcher says the stiffest penalties will be reserved for repeat offenders. Producers, especially small farmers, will be given a chance to get their livestock in compliance and have their charges dismissed.
Either way, Officer Fedun and his fellow Tennessee State Ag Cops are going to be plenty busy as enforcement ramps up this spring.