The availability of state-level data on interstate cattle movements in the United States

Knowledge about the patterns of animal movement--particularly feeder-cattle movement--within the USA is necessary in order to anticipate how diseases might be spread geographically. This study was conducted to explore the availability of interstate-level movement data which might be used to develop a more coherent national picture of interstate feeder-cattle movement. State Statistical Offices of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 1996 (NASS) and Departments of Agriculture in all 50 states were contacted to determine the type of information collected regarding the import and export of feeder cattle. Eighteen of the 50 states contacted recorded updated import and export information by using certificates of veterinary inspection and (occasionally) entry permits for verification. The 18 states were: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Profiles of import and export data from Kansas, Texas, Colorado and Iowa (the primary receivers of 51% of total 1995 imports) were developed. These four states received at least 50% of their cattle imports from < 9 different states. As a result, approximately half of the nation's import movement can be explained by a total of 13 states and Mexico (excluding duplicates). Also, > 50% of the exports from Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and Iowa go to < or = 3 states. This import and export information confirms conclusions of others that cattle tend to move toward the center of the USA. However, if more states kept comprehensive, up-to-date records of movement information, knowledge about cattle-movement patterns in the USA would be importantly increased. The lack of specific notations on certificates of veterinary inspection can lead only to perceived trends; the present records have limited value in tracking animal movement.