January 10, 2005

 

US Ranchers Stress Need To Regain Japan, Korea Beef Export Market 

 

US cattle ranchers have strongly vocalized the necessity of the government to restore beef exports to major markets Japan and South Korea before resuming any trade across the border with Canada, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said.

 

The Association had previously called on the administration to set a good example on beef trade for nations dealing with mad cow disease.

 

Under an Agriculture Department plan, the United States would allow shipments of young Canadian cattle beginning March 7. The United States had banned the Canadian trade in beef after a discovery in May 2003 of mad cow disease in Canada. This was similar to beef importers who had frozen purchases of US cattle when the first case was found in the US last year.

 

"The administration has got to jump on exporting possibilities. We've got to see some action here," Jay Truitt, the NCBA's executive director of legislative affairs, said on Sunday.

 

With its statement issued over the weekend, NCBA was allied with farm activists in wanting to protect U.S. ranchers and feedlot operators from financial losses that could result from an influx of cattle but static demand.

 

USDA estimates up to 2 million Canadian cattle a year could be sent to U.S. slaughter.

 

Canada reported its second case of mad cow disease a week ago, setting back any possibility of a quick resumption of US-Canada cattle trade.

 

NCBA will send a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman this week to seek clarification about the impact on cattle prices, the likely size of cattle shipments, the effectiveness of Canada's mad-cow safeguards and the prevalence of the fatal bovine disease in Canadian herds.

 

It also will send a trade team to Canada during the week of January 17 with similar questions. The team will report to the NCBA annual meeting on February 2-5, when NCBA discusses policy issues.

 

In its statement to members, first reported in the newsletter Feedstuffs, NCBA said it would "insist that by March 7 trade be re-established with Japan and South Korea and expanded in Mexico through negotiations between the highest level of government officials or further action will be taken."

 

That was a marked change from a couple of weeks ago when NCBA said, "We must normalize trade with Canada in order for our industry to move forward in the global marketplace, expand our ability to sell US beef to foreign consumers and put more dollars in the pockets of US producers."

 

Along with suffering cases of mad cow disease, the United States and Canada have implemented common policies to ward off the disease. They include a ban on using cattle parts in cattle feed and a requirement for packers to remove the brains, spinal cords and nervous tissue most likely to carry mad cow disease.

 

"We welcome NCBA coming up to Canada," said Fred Gorrell of the Canadian Embassy, who was in Charlotte to speak at a farm meeting. He said a review of Canada's rules "will validate and confirm the border should be open."

 

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association will host the NCBA team in Alberta, said John Masswohl, a CCA official. "We think we have a good story to tell. We have strong controls. We think our feed ban is effective."