January 5, 2005

 

 

US Cattle Producers Call For Continued Mad Cow Restrictions

 

Cattle producers and industry leaders in the region said Monday that the federal government is moving too quickly in allowing cattle and expanded beef product imports from Canada, where another case of mad cow disease was recently discovered.

 

Many are concerned about the potential effect the U.S. Department of Agriculture's plan would have on U.S. producers and on consumer demand for beef products.

 

Bill Bullard, chief executive officer of R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America, said the USDA is "dangerously premature" in easing restrictions on Canadian imports.

 

The United States banned such things as Canadian cattle, beef and beef products after Canada reported a case of mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, in May 2003. It later eased restrictions to allow imports considered at very low risk of BSE.

 

The USDA announced just last week that it would resume imports of some live cattle beginning in March.

 

On Sunday, Canadian officials said an older dairy cow from Alberta had tested positive for mad cow disease

 

A USDA spokesman said the new case of mad cow disease won't affect the plans to allow imports of cattle under 30 months and certain other animals and products from Canada.

 

Jim Rogers, a spokesman at the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said a risk assessment looked at the possibility of additional Canadian cases of mad cow disease and that officials believe U.S. producers will be protected.

 

But some industry leaders want greater assurances and believe the government is being too hasty.

 

"We just don't feel the time is right now," said Tamara Beardsley, a spokeswoman for the Montana Stockgrowers Association. "There definitely has been an outcry from Canada, and I think the U.S. is maybe overlooking the concerns from its own producers, in our own country."

 

The stockgrowers association is seeking, among other things, assurances that the United States will not lose trading partners because of Canadian cattle imports and that U.S. export markets won't be adversely affected.

 

John Stencel, president of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, said his group wants in place measures including meat labels for country of origin. The group represents producers in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.

 

Dennis McDonald, vice president of the Montana Cattlemen's Association, agreed with the importance of meat labeling, saying it's unclear what effect there might be on consumers who can't differentiate between U.S. and Canadian products.

 

Stencel said he'd like to believe he could have faith in the safeguards in place in other countries, like Canada, but believes more could be done.

 

Bullard said the recent case "underscores the need to continue testing in Canada to see how great the prevalence is before taking any steps to relax any protections." A case of mad cow disease was found in Washington in December 2003 in a cow that had come from Canada.

 

Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, said he's concerned with a possible effect on markets. He said his group supports a "controlled reopening" of the border to live cattle.

 

"I think our market could withstand a certain number coming in," he said. "But to just say, 'It's open,' basically that opens the door for packers to meet their needs with an abundant, cheap supply of cattle, and I think that would have a significant impact on domestic cattle."

 

Montana Sens. Conrad Burns and Max Baucus expressed concerns with moving forward right now.

 

Burns said he questions whether the Canadians are serious about addressing "their BSE problem."

 

Baucus said he doesn't believe that USDA has done an adequate job of explaining why its plan should go forward now.

 

"Above all, they need to take into account the effects that opening the border would have on the U.S. cattle herd and on the integrity of the supply chain," Baucus said.