What is this?

[cowman]

In the last edition of the Western Producer there was an article "Beef Industry must listen to buyers"?
Ted Shroeder of Kansas State University presented the results of a study involving meat consumers from the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan?
I found this part of the survey very interesting:"In Japan, 30% of the market had no problem with Canadian beef, but only 8% have confidence in US product"!
Now how does this come about? Hasn't R-CALF been saying their beef is basically perfect while Canadas beef is poison! Are those Japanese consumers stupid or something?...Or do they just know bullshit when they see it?
Funny how they don't believe American beef is safe at all? Maybe they don't believe the US cattle producer is being very upfront about what they are producing? Maybe they suspect the USDA is fudging the tests and the "so-called" safe guards? Maybe they think the USA producers are liars?
The article also says the Japanese consumer is very adverse to risk? Only 48% think beef is somewhat safe? 30% think Canadian beef is safe. Again only 8% think Us beef is safe!
Better get out the old propaganda machine, Willowcreek? Those little guys don't believe you! LOL

[Willowcreek]

cowman- Do you trust USDA?

[grassfarmer]

I trust them more than I trust R-CALF.

[cowman]

Willowcreek: That is a tough question? I would hope the people at the USDA are honorable? I sometimes question whether they are?
Maybe my problem is I assume they are like the men and women who work for the CFIA? Now I will tell you I do think the CFIA boys are an honest bunch! I truly believe they are conscientious people doing their job?
When we lose faith in our government institutions....what have we got?
Maybe I am really naive or something...but I believe my governments employees?

[kato]

I have worked personally with several CFIA vets over the past 10 years, and I have always been impressed by their professionalism. There's always a part of me that cringes when they go off announcing to the world when we find BSE, but the rational part of me has to agree with their policy. It's been a long tough road being open and honest, but things like the Japanese survey are a glimmer of the better future we will have because of it.

There is nothing more important than reputation when you are dealing with food safety issues.

This is a fact that has been totally lost on the short sighted legal eagles south of us. They insist on shooting themselves in the foot at every opportunity. I don't know what it will take to make the lights come on down there. What part of WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, do they not understand?

As we snipe at each other, and RCalf works hard to ruin their own markets for themselves, the big corporations sit back and rake in the dough. Go ahead and close the border. They will find a way to make it into profit.

Control over food supply is the ultimate power in this world, and the very people who produce the primary product are handing it over to the big internationals on a plate. (pardon the pun).

We'd get a lot farther ahead if we just worked together instead of wasting time and energy tilting at windmills.

[farmers_son]

Re trust the USDA. It is my impression that the world believes the USDA is covering up cases of BSE.

Plus there was the problem of the USDA not living up to its agreement with Japan after imports of beef resumed. There was the shipment of beef that had bone included but also the Americans are not able to age verify their beef with the same degree of accountability that Canadian producers can provide the Japanese market.

[Willowcreek]

The true every day working folks of USDA, like the scientists that put a lot of work into and developed the original BSE prevention plans have a great deal of my trust- most are probably above reproach---BUT--- the bureacrats and political appointments that are in administration and make the final decisions based on politics and lobbying money would sell their only child if it meant enough financial gain or more political power...

I started out as a strong GW Bush supporter- but it has become clear thruout the past 6 years that his administration is plaged by backroom, dark alley, corporate boardroom bought decisions-- and as was shown by the firing of HHS Tommy Thompson, if you or the science you promote doesn't fit the Administrations corporate agenda- you are gone......Thompson made the mistake of actually calling for strengthening food safety along with the BSE feedban rules...