The Border Should Open Today

[rsomer]

Today is May 7. It is 30 days since the end of the USDA comment period on the rule making process to allow Canadian live cattle into the U.S. The USDA should announce the rules that will see our cattle moving south this afternoon after the close of markets.

While I have no idea whether the USDA will actually make this announcement, it should happen. The American Meat Institute which represents the meat packers who will be responsible for actually meeting whatever regulatory requirements of the new rule have clearly stated they want the border open. There is no scientific reason for the border not to open and President Bush has clearly stated that these decisions should be based on science. I did not read any comments that were posted on the APHIS web site that offered any scientific reason why the border should remain closed. Nothing new has happened since the Washington Holstein, there is no new information or developments that should delay the much anticipated announcement. The USDA has had ample time to consider the comments and formulate a rule.

There should be an announcement today. The CME cattle contracts close at 1:00 PM Central Time or 3:00 Alberta time. The USDA should make its announcement about 1 hour after that. I am not saying that this will happen, just that it should happen. The American government and the American President has said that trade in live cattle is in the best interest of the nation. I am taking them at their word that this is the case and that the border should open today.

[cakadu]

It would be nice if the announcement did come today, but I don't think I'm going to hold my breath over it.

Having listened to a great many words spring forth from policians' mouths, I am a little reluctant to put much stock in GWB's words regarding wanting an open border.

After all, wasn't this the same man who repeatedly told us about WMD in Iraq, has been one of the more protectionist leaders in recent memory (at least mine anyway) and plunged the US into an economic free fall?

Part of me wishes that the border would be open soon, and the other part of me looks at it realistically from a political standpoint and there is just too much politics for this to go away in the very near future. With any luck, I will have to eat my words on Saturday morning.

[cakadu]

American Politiciians are masters at exploiting media.
Find some pictures of naked Iraqi prisoners - attack the Cleric full bore.
Find an untested mad cow in Texas, open the Canadian border.
Might want to also take away some of the attention there country mates may face in Canada Monday morning.
Cheers to the politicains for chasing after the crooks!!!

[Smithy]

I sure hope this article is inaccurate as it doesn't sound like the border will be opening in the near future.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/108384473899111.xml

[Smithy]

Sorry, that link didn't seem to work, here is the article....

USDA decides to keep restrictions on cattle transported from Canada
A producers' group says there was no scientific proof that U.S. cattle would be safe from mad cow disease
Thursday, May 06, 2004
JIM BARNETT
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed Wednesday to maintain its ban on imports of Canadian cattle.

The agreement, made in federal court in Montana, stalls a Bush administration plan to reopen the border.

"They didn't have any scientific justification for their actions," said Bill Bullard, chief executive of Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, an association representing producers in 46 states.

The producers group argued that a Harvard University study sponsored by the Agriculture Department failed to assess risk that imports of cattle and beef could expose U.S. cattle to mad cow, a brain-wasting disease.

The border was closed a year ago after Canadian authorities confirmed a case of mad cow in Alberta.

The Oregonian reported on Monday that Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman had mischaracterized the study over a two-year period, saying in error that it concluded the risk of mad cow entering the country was "extremely low."

Veneman cited the study as evidence for reopening the Canadian border, although aides acknowledged that she knew its conclusions applied only to the spread of the disease within the U.S. herd, the newspaper reported.

The producers' group last week won a restraining order preventing the agency from allowing imports of some types of beef. And on Wednesday, Judge Richard F. Cebull extended his order, issuing an injunction preventing the agency from implementing its plan to resume imports of live cattle.

Cebull said the agency would have to provide regular updates on its rule-making every 45 days. The agency also agreed to give five business days' notice before asking permission to reopen the border.

Bullard said that the agency's decision to agree to Cebull's terms attested to the strength of his association's case.

"We think the government's decision not to fight an extension of the judge's order shows that USDA recognized it would have been hard to defend its position in court," Bullard said.

Veneman declined requests for an interview regarding the Harvard study, and a department spokesman did not return calls seeking comment on Cebull's order.

Jim Barnett: 503-294-7604; jim.barnett@newhouse.com



It was this sentence that I was hoping was inaccurate.
"And on Wednesday, Judge Richard F. Cebull extended his order, issuing an injunction preventing the agency from implementing its plan to resume imports of live cattle."

[kato]

I think the USDA's decision not to fight the injunction was based on their knowledge that the border would soon be open based on the new rules that will come out of the comment period.

Opening to live cattle would make the injunction against bone-in beef irrelevant.

[rsomer]

Kato: I hope you are right.

You all may have noticed that the border didn't open which leaves me wondering why not. If not today, when.

I notice in the R-Calf agreement that the USDA is going to update R-Calf every 45 days. So if 45 days is the magic number that would make the next likely day for the border to open Friday, May 21. This just happens to be one day after the anniversary of when the U.S. closed our border.

I notice on the CCA info line that they have stopped counting the days since the border closed. It is 353 days since a live beef animal, even a calf under 30 months, or for that matter a calf under 20 months if that is the new standard, crossed the border into the U.S.

Even though an animal of that age has never been found to have BSE anywhere in the world, ever, the U.S. is still blocking the border to all live cattle. They have no credibility left when they say they support science based decision making.

[rusty1]

I wonder who runs the USDA - R-claf seems to be in control.

[grassfarmer]

At least r-calf look after their members interests whatever means they use. It's notable that ABP/CCA are saying nothing about the Packers being found in contempt of Parliament. Surely they should say something to the effect that they are pleased that their financial affairs are under scrutiny? - I know the NFU will be. Whose side are our cattle organisations on?

[grassfarmer]

Got no response from E mail to both organizations today.
I think the word to explain their positions is fear.

[ALICIA]

Did you not hear the new date is August 1st.

[cowman]

Now Alicia, you say August 1? But you forgot to put the year behind it? lol

[ALICIA]

There was no mention of a year.

[kato]

Friday the 21st sounds like a likely day.

I am quite sure that whenever it does open, it will be on a Friday after the markets close, so that the usual overreaction has time to settle down over the weekend. Maybe just before the American Memorial Day weekend?


It'll be timed to do the least damage to the prices. I hope so, because we all know what R-Calf will do if the price even drops a half a cent for five minutes after the border opens! LOL

[cowman]

Now kato, you know that the USDA promised R-calf 5 days notice before they make any kind of announcement? So defacto what happens is R-calfs lawyers will be ready and waiting the minute the announcement is made?
Quite frankly I just can't see the border opening...even a crack...until the election. Bush is getting hammered over the whole Iraq boondoggle and it isn't getting any better with the torture revalations? Don't forget Bush only got in last time by the skin of his teeth and a little bit of blatant cheating. If Kerry gets in I think you can count on the border staying shut for many years? Hopefully how I see it is totally wrong and the next few weeks we'll see the USDA attempt to get that border open?
The price of cull cows is once again completely in the tank. Here we sit after one year and in reality we are not a whole lot better off...I wonder what we'll be saying next year?