Senators want to withdraw opening border

[perfecho]

This just came through on "BEEF" and "Cow Calf Weekly"...just when there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

Feb 9, 2007 11:30 AM


Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and John Thune (R-SD) have asked USDA Secretary Mike Johanns to withdraw USDA's proposed rule to allow for the importation of Canadian cattle born after March 1, 1999 and beef from animals over 30 months.

The Senators said, "Consumers in foreign countries shouldn't be the only ones receiving assurances from the U.S. government about the origin of their beef. Surely American consumers deserve the same assurances from USDA that overseas consumers receive. If you will not withdraw your proposal to expand Canadian beef imports, then at the very least it should be postponed until USDA can fully implement mandatory Country-of-Origin labeling, as directed in the 2002 Farm Bill. Before American beef is commingled with beef from a country that discovered five cases of BSE last year, American consumers should be given basic tools with which to distinguish American beef from Canadian."

[Willowcreek]

Actually they wrote that letter "before" this last POST feedban bull was found...I posted the letter on a thread before...

Now with this positive bull being POST feedban- and born AFTER the USDA proposed eligible date for importation into the US, I look for many many more Congressmen and Senators contacting USDA and opposing the rule...

I don't think it stands a chance- until USDA gets the M-COOL operating- and USDA keeps saying they can't get that done until 2008...

[farmers_son]

This response from a few U.S. Senators is not unexpected. However I would point out if the U.S. feels Canadian beef should only be allowed in their country if it is clearly identified as to the country of origin then tit for tat would suggest that those countries the U.S. is hoping to export beef to would be justified in setting down the same requirements for U.S. beef. The U.S. needs to remember they have BSE too and the incidence of BSE in the United States and Canada is considered comparable.

The U.S. has two problems here. One is the obvious need to cater to the protectionist sentiments of a few U.S. producers and the politicians pandering to their vote. But the larger problem is to convince the world that U.S. beef is safe and that these countries are not justified in blocking trade of U.S. beef. When the United States places restrictions on imports of Canadian beef it just provides ammunition for export markets to put up their own protectionist barriers to U.S. beef.

[rkaiser]

Time to put some egg on these senators faces farmers_son. Allow testing for export marketing purposes and start asking American retailers if they want to buy some BSE tested beef. Don't need to worry about cool or Mcool or anything like that. the label will say - "Canadian Graded Prime Quality BSE Tested Beef."

[Willowcreek]

farmes_son--Most of the US export markets already have Country of Origin Labeling- both Japan and Korea do--and both those countries along with several others have had the US segregating out the Canadian beef/cattle-either now or in the past..

But its time to begin telling the US consumer the truth too...Thats what the Senators said in their letter...

Actually I believe it is something like 47 countries that have a form of M-COOL...I read where Scotland is just putting it in for their restaurant service food too--having had it for store shelves previously...

[farmers_son]

If I recall correctly, the U.S. successfully challenged South Korea's attempt to have country of origin labelling applied to U.S. beef. The WTO ruled that country of origin labelling was an unfair trade barrier and South Korea had to drop it.

The U.S. is playing a risky game when they draw inferences to the effect that Canadian beef is not safe and the consumer needs to be protected from it. The U.S. is sure to have more BSE positives assuming they are not hiding test results. When that happens what is the consumer to believe? Are they to believe U.S. beef is safe when Canadian beef is not? The two countries have had identical safety measures in place for years and hundreds of thousands of live animals moved both ways across the 49th parallel. The incidence of BSE is similar in both countries. And both countries achieve food safety through removal of SRM's so it does not matter where the beef comes from. It is safe.

[Willowcreek]

farmers_son posted Feb 9, 2007 22:42
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If I recall correctly, the U.S. successfully challenged South Korea's attempt to have country of origin labelling applied to U.S. beef. The WTO ruled that country of origin labelling was an unfair trade barrier and South Korea had to drop it.


You are correct-- but only because they were singling out only US beef to be labeled...But if all is labeled its legal enough to be done in 47 countries...

[grassfarmer]

And how do you make in enforcable willowcreek? There has already been one case in Scotland of South American beef labelled "Scottish produce" sitting side by side with the real product in the supermarket cabinet. You'll find the retailers are just as big crooks as the packers.

[TOM4CWB]

Burbert,

I am fine with the CWB being 1. for you and your farm.

Would you honestly sell all your barley... and actually do a production contract on 25% of your grain production capability... to sell every pound of that barley you could grow to the CWB and it alone?

Can you give a straight honest answer that you have actually grown barley and delivered it all to the CWB in the last 12 months... and that the CWB PAID more than what the domestic feed market offered you?

[Willowcreek]

How do you enforce any labeling laws? Several celebs took the fall because they got caught selling imported clothes with their brand names and the USA label...They were caught...

A bunch of Chinamen just got caught selling illegally smuggled chickens too..Yep there are crooks everywhere-that will try to make a buck if they can--thats what gives cops jobs...

If people want to be crooks you won't catch them all- no matter what the law..But usually they eventually do... And since this involves a "health issue" make it a strong enough penalty to discourage passing off the cheap imports as US product....

Right now the whole system is a government backed Fraud to enrich the multinational Packers....