02/04/05 Latest episode of beef soap opera, Pt.1

02/04/05 Latest episode of beef soap opera, Pt.1

The last three days have been full of suspense in what has been an on going soap opera since May of 2003. That is when Canada announced it had detected a case of b.s.e. in an Alberta cow, the start of a chain of events including the U.S. discovery of its own b.s.e. case later that year, and efforts by both nations to get their beef products and in some cases live cattle back into currently closed markets. So why have the last three days been full of drama. Well for one, the Senate Agricultural Committee held its hearing on whether or not U.S.D.A. should move forward with plans to reopen the border to Canadian live cattle and some beef products on March Seventh. It was full of Senators critical of the U.S.D.A. final rule. And while the previous Ag Secretary and her administration seemed adamant about installing the rule at the designated time, it seems current Secretary Mike Johanns is keeping at least an open mind. Now that is not to say Johanns is making promises on delaying or withdrawing the rule. But he gave opposing Senators the impression that his agency was listening. And Johanns told the Senate Ag Committee that any decision would be based on findings of a U.S.D.A. technical team in Canada studying the most recent Canadian b.s.e. cases, information that would be open to the public. JOHANNS: I also promise that that report would be absolutely transparent. When I get the report we'll put it over here on the Hill, so House members and Senate members can look at it. We'll put it on the website so the public can take a look at it. A lot of interest in what our folks are doing in Canada so hopefully we'll have that in the not too distance future. Then there has been a meeting of another sort & the annual Cattle Industry Conference in San Antonio. There a technical team from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association announced its findings on the recent Canadian b.s.e. cases, and how that would influence recommendations to the organization whether or not to support U.S.D.A.'s final rule to allow Canadian live cattle and beef back into our nation. The N.C.B.A. team concluded old contaminated feed likely caused the most recent b.s.e. cases, and that they believed Canadian beef is safe, even beef from Canadian cattle over thirty months of age. N.C.B.A. Executive Board officials say it will be up to the group's membership to decide whether or not to vote on support of the U.S.D.A. final rule. But what could be the biggest news to day in the long running soap opera is a decision effecting U.S. beef returning to Japan. More on that in our next program.
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