AgWeb News
General Agriculture News
12/30/2003
Sen. Dorgan Urges USDA to Continue Ban on Canadian Cattle, Wants COOL
From Pro Farmer
Julianne Johnston
U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) called for major policy changes Monday in the wake of discovery of a case of Mad Cow Disease in Washington state, including a halt to plans to allow resumption of live cattle imports from Canada, a requirement that meat packers identify the country of origin for meat sold in the United States, and increased U.S. inspections of slaughtered cattle.
Dorgan also called on Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to convene a January summit of U.S. beef producers and consumers to develop a comprehensive strategy for responding to the situation. “Both beef producers and consumers have a big stake in immediate and effective action to trace the diseased cow,” Dorgan said. “We need to make sure beef producers and consumers are protected.”
“This single case of Mad Cow Disease will hit our ranchers hard,” said Dorgan, who met with North Dakota beef producers in Bismarck Monday. “The USDA must act rapidly and decisively to build confidence in our beef supply and to minimize the damage to our ranchers. First and foremost, we must be able to guarantee consumers that beef remains a safe and wholesome product. I am personally convinced that our beef supply poses no risk to human health, but because of the discovery of one cow with this disease, we’ll need to substantially increase inspection of slaughtered cattle. Enhanced inspections are necessary to respond to consumers’ concerns.”
Dorgan said Veneman must also “immediately stop” the process she put in place a month ago to allow resumption of live cattle imports from Canada. Those imports were suspended when Canada discovered its first case of Mad Cow Disease earlier this year. “This is not the time to re-open the border,” Dorgan said. “The infected cow in Washington state appears to have come from Canada, and it can take 3 to 8 years for symptoms of Mad Cow Disease to appear. We clearly need a process that allows us to know more about the condition of live cattle we import, as well as the feed supplements they consumed before coming into this country.”
General Agriculture News
12/30/2003
Sen. Dorgan Urges USDA to Continue Ban on Canadian Cattle, Wants COOL
From Pro Farmer
Julianne Johnston
U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) called for major policy changes Monday in the wake of discovery of a case of Mad Cow Disease in Washington state, including a halt to plans to allow resumption of live cattle imports from Canada, a requirement that meat packers identify the country of origin for meat sold in the United States, and increased U.S. inspections of slaughtered cattle.
Dorgan also called on Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to convene a January summit of U.S. beef producers and consumers to develop a comprehensive strategy for responding to the situation. “Both beef producers and consumers have a big stake in immediate and effective action to trace the diseased cow,” Dorgan said. “We need to make sure beef producers and consumers are protected.”
“This single case of Mad Cow Disease will hit our ranchers hard,” said Dorgan, who met with North Dakota beef producers in Bismarck Monday. “The USDA must act rapidly and decisively to build confidence in our beef supply and to minimize the damage to our ranchers. First and foremost, we must be able to guarantee consumers that beef remains a safe and wholesome product. I am personally convinced that our beef supply poses no risk to human health, but because of the discovery of one cow with this disease, we’ll need to substantially increase inspection of slaughtered cattle. Enhanced inspections are necessary to respond to consumers’ concerns.”
Dorgan said Veneman must also “immediately stop” the process she put in place a month ago to allow resumption of live cattle imports from Canada. Those imports were suspended when Canada discovered its first case of Mad Cow Disease earlier this year. “This is not the time to re-open the border,” Dorgan said. “The infected cow in Washington state appears to have come from Canada, and it can take 3 to 8 years for symptoms of Mad Cow Disease to appear. We clearly need a process that allows us to know more about the condition of live cattle we import, as well as the feed supplements they consumed before coming into this country.”
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