April 8, 2004

US Cattle Group Insists On Science-Based BSE Policies

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association on Wednesday called for insistence that U.S. Department of Agriculture rules on beef and cattle trade with minimal-risk countries include equitable, science-based health standards among countries so that U.S. cattle and beef can be maintained.
 
The NCBA made that recommendation among others during a teleconference Wednesday as the comment period for the USDA's proposed rule to establish beef and cattle trade with countries that have a minimal risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, ended.
 
NCBA President Jan Lyons said the association is emphasizing three major concerns be addressed as the rule seeks to reopen cattle trade with Canada, which would be considered to be of minimal risk for BSE.
 
They are that:
 
- U.S. cattle producers cannot afford harmful effects on the domestic market from large movements of beef products or live cattle from Canada;
 
- cattle allowed to enter (U.S.) feedlots must be young enough to ensure they will not exceed 30 months of age at slaughter;
 
- the U.S. government's rulemaking process utilizes the best available science to shape its policies.
 
On the first point, Lyons said: "Any reopening of the U.S. border must be done in a step-by-step process so as not to disrupt the domestic cattle market."
 
NCBA CEO Terry stokes said this requirement was added to comments the organization made before the first round of comments was closed Jan. 5.
 
Chandler Keys, vice president of governmental affairs for NCBA, said there were several points in the rule that would "modulate" a rush of cattle over the border and therefore spread out the market effects for U.S. cattle producers. He took feeder cattle as an example and listed things like going only to registered feedlots, being tagged and inspected prior to shipment as things that would slow down a sudden influx of cattle.
 
Keys also said the NCBA has suggested bringing only fed cattle first and then sometime later bring in the feeder cattle. But the NCBA also said there should not be any ambiguity about dates in the final rule. All dates should be announced ahead of time.
 
On the second point, Lyons said: "Canadian heifers must be permanently identified and cannot be allowed to enter the U.S. breeding herd through feedlots."
 
Lyons said ear tags were not reliable enough and were too easy to miss. She said the NCBA favored a more permanent method, such as branding.
 
On the third point, Lyons said: "Regulations developed by our trading partners, including Canada and Mexico, must be made in a corresponding and science-based manner."
 
"NCBA members will not support expanding trade with Canada until there is equivalency and compliance regarding animal health standards and regulations," she said.
 
Lyons recounted how the comment period on this proposal began on Nov. 4, before the U.S. announced it had discovered a case of BSE on Dec. 23. The comment period was allowed to expire on Jan. 5, but no action was taken until it was reopened for comment March 8. This comment period is closing.
 
Gary Weber, NCBA executive director of regulatory affairs, said the USDA tackles these issues based on science but that there are ways to minimize the economic effects on the industry and that they will be considered by the USDA.
 
After the Nov. 4 opening of comments to reopen borders to countries with minimal risk of BSE, the NCBA submitted comments asking for an extension of the Jan. 5 deadline, Weber said. The subsequent discovery of the cow with BSE that came from Canada complicated the matter.
 
In the meantime, the USDA did some extra risk analysis and published an explanatory note that talked about the case in Canada and the one in the U.S. and modified the proposed rule slightly to relate to the importation of beef from animals older than 30 months of age, consistent with the science, Weber said.
 
The USDA now will have a very large volume of comment, Weber said. Some of this was submitted Jan. 5 and some submitted now. Officials will have to take each set of comments into consideration and review them carefully.
 
Next, the rule will have to be reviewed within the department by several agencies and then finally, when it's completed to the satisfaction of the secretary of agriculture, it will be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget, Weber said.
 
"Quite candidly, we have no idea how long that might take, but historically, it can be a protracted process given the fact that this is an important rule with many comments," Weber said. "I know people would like us to speculate on when the final rule will be published, (but) there's no way we can do that."