NMA FILES PAPERS FOR AN INJUCTION

[Denny]

Just caught a little on the radio that the NMA has filed papers in federal court to try to over turn the ruling in the r-calf case.

[alabama]

So when will the border open?

[feeder]

I read that the NMA filed papers requesting the court to expediate the hearing in regards to the border. As far as I can tell nothing has been heard by a judge yet.

[rancher]

Cattle futures are sharply lower today in a continuation of yesterday's weaker price tone. Today's weakness is stemming from reports that a trade group of US meatpackers is seeking to lift a ban on the importation of Canadian beef imports. The National Meat Association is filing an appeal of a Montana judges ruling which prevented the USDA opening up US borders to Canadian beef imports earlier this month. Further weakness is also being link to disappointment over live sales, with cattle on the hoof in the southern plain states going for $93.00 per hundredweight, which was less than the market, had anticipated.

[rancher]

Beef industry officials in Canada do not expect the U.S. border to be reopened to live cattle until at least 2006, three years after a ban was put in place, according to a news story filed by CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) News.

The border was expected to reopen on March 7 to live Canadian cattle under the age of 30 months but a Montana-based ranchers' group obtained a preliminary injunction blocking the move and is seeking a broad ban on Canadian beef, the story said.

The lobby group, R-CALF, argued the reopening would cause financial harm to U.S. producers. It said Canada doesn't properly test its animals for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease.

"You could easily get into nine months to a year and a half...in terms of the likely time frames around these court proceedings," said Dennis Laycraft of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association in the CBC story.

Laycraft and other producers met with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Andy Mitchell in Calgary Thursday.

The U.S. closed its border to Canadian live cattle in May 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was discovered in Alberta.

Mitchell in the CBC story said his U.S. counterpart, Mike Johanns, was in the process of deciding how to challenge the Montana ruling.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is set to appear in court next week.

Laycraft said he hopes a timeline will be set for the re-entry of Canadian cattle. (CBC News)

[mlsfarms]

"Unfair trade", is the cry from NMA. Contending that cheaper beef can be bought, processed in Canada and then sent to the US, they have filed countersuit to overturn ruling by a Mt. FEDERAL judge. I thought the border was closed?!?!?!?! Where is USDA in all this controversy? Ooops, I forgot, in the pockets of BIG business, not the ag producer. As permitted by our illustrious leader-The Buszcszcszchhh Whacker. What a frickin' joke this whole situation is. Label it all and let the consumer and US trade partners decide. Oops, again forgot, BIG business doesn't want this either. Neither does USDA, how surprising.

[Manitoba_Rancher]

NMA Files Appeal against R-CALF Preliminary Injunction

HASTINGS, Neb. (DTN) - As reported by John Harrington, DTN livestock analyst, the National Meat Association, a trade organization serving the meat packing industry, has filed an appeal of the preliminary injunction won by R-CALF which halted the March 7 scheduled opening of the border to Canadian cattle. U.S. exporters sold less corn and wheat last week than the previous week but soybean export sales increased, USDA reported Thursday morning.

NMA filed papers in San Francisco Tuesday, asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to expedite hearing of NMA's appeal of the injunction granted to R-CALF and the denial of NMA's Motion to Intervene in R-CALF's suit against USDA. The filing said:

"NMA, certifies that to avoid irreparable harm, relief is needed in less than 21 days; in the absence of expedited treatment, irreparable harm will occur to NMA and consumers in the United States. The effect of the District Court's rulings will be to continue an unfair business environment under which NMA's members are unable to import live cattle from Canada while competitors with slaughterhouses in Canada are permitted to buy cheaper cattle in Canada, slaughter those cattle in Canada and import certain beef products into the United States. NMA seeks a level playing field, which the District Court's rulings prevent."

[alabama]

Can a state government pass a law that prevents Canadian beef from entering that state? My thought is that the states cannot, as the original purpose of the federal government is to regulate interstate trade. What do y’all think?

[Manitoba_Rancher]

(FARM NEWS WIRE MARCH 11-12:09)

In another development the U.S. National Meat Association filed an emergency appeal to protect its members who slaughter cattle from imminent economic collapse. NMA’s appeal asks that the Court require R-CALF to post bond sufficient to protect NMA members from the devastating impact of the preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. border from reopening to live Canadian cattle as long as it remains in effect

[PORKER]

NMA filed papers in San Francisco Tuesday, asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to expedite hearing of NMA's appeal of the injunction granted to R-CALF and the denial of NMA's Motion to Intervene in R-CALF's suit against USDA.**************I would think that would be the worst place to file an appeal since every one in Ca. is food nuts an that wants everything ORGANIC and PESTICIDE FREE!

[Denny]

[don]

so it's a possibility r-calf could have to post a bond to cover financial damages to nma members??? gotta love it if they have to back up their arguments with cash!!!! correct me if i'm wrong but i assume that nma wants r-calf to be financially responsible if its arguments are shown to be frivolous or invalid.