October 3, 2006

USDA extends 28-hour livestock rule to trucks
 

The USDA said it is extending the 28-hour rule for the transport of animals on rail to that of trucks, the Des Moines Register reported Friday (Sep 29).

Under a 19th-century law, livestock shipped by rail would have to be unloaded every 28 hours during shipment and given feed, water and rest. Poultry like chickens and turkeys are exempt.

The USDA's rule to have the law extended to trucks has raised concerns in the livestock industry. However, producers in Iowa say it would have minimal effect on them as most of the 16.5 million pigs and 1.3 million cattle shipped into the state were sourced from places that can deliver in 24 hours.

Still, an estimated million or so pigs were shipped from North Carolina to Iowa and another 1.7 million were from Canada. Cattle on these long-haul trips can really get stressed, experts said. Trucks carrying calves avoid stopping so the animals do not lie down, and they travel better standing, said Leon Yantis, president of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association.

In fact, the USDA had legislated the law in 2003. However, it did not come to light until the USDA had to respond to a petition filed by the Humane Society of the United States.

So far, the department has investigated one complaint, which culminated in a warning letter being issued, said Jim Rogers, a spokesman for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Future complaints would be referred directly to the Justice Department, Rogers said.