Deputy ag boss gets earful from R-CALF USA
By Larry Dreiling
The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America heard the highest-ranking government official ever to speak to the group during its recent annual convention at Denver.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner told the group that keeping the U.S. beef market competitive to help producers get a fair price is a priority and that beef trade should be based on the Golden Rule.
He also reiterated the new U.S. Department of Agriculture position that an animal identification system would now be voluntary rather than mandatory.
In response, R-CALF USA members questioned Conner at length about the wisdom of USDA's decision-making process.
"I openly admit to you that fact-based, science-based decision making within the Department of Agriculture is probably more often than not the most popular decisions we make," Conner told the approximately 300 people in attendance at the convention. "It is fundamental that we review science carefully."
Market restoration
In his confirmation hearings, Conner said, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns would keep pushing for beef trade to be restored to normal levels.
"At that time, about 60 percent of our market had been shut down over one Canadian cow. We continue to regain our beef markets, although candor would have me say that the process is a lot slower than we'd like and a lot slower than the patience of most of the cattlemen I know in the countryside."
When 45 countries closed their borders to U.S. beef, $4 billion in trade has since been lost, Conner said.
"USDA has worked hard to reopen these markets. The good news is U.S. beef exports in 2006 were 65 percent higher than the year before," Conner said. "They reached $1.4 billion, which is a noteworthy improvement. We've reopened and maintained markets in 25 countries that either had been closed or had been threatened with closure.
"There are some markets that are open to certain beef cuts only, but they are effectively closed because of various unjustified and unscientific restrictions and by what I'd characterize as protectionist prohibitions."
Conner especially noted South Korea, with its large budget surplus against the United States and Japan with its numerous restrictions on product entry as nations reducing U.S. beef trade.
"Our goal is to normalize beef trade based upon the best science and the best international standards that are available. The U.S. is committed to making sure that our regulatory approach keeps pace with scientific knowledge and international guidelines that are set to the best scientific standards."
Minimal risk rule
Conner noted that USDA had just a few days earlier published an additional proposed minimal risk rule that would expand the list of allowable exports that have a minimal risk of introducing BSE into the U.S.
"As you know, Canada is the only country recognized by the Department of Agriculture," Conner said. "The proposal permits the entry of any live bovine into the U.S. born after March 1, 1999. We believe it would facilitate fair and science based trade. This is the basic rule that was taught to us by our parents--the Golden Rule--that is essential if we are to grow our overall exports that will reach a record population growth going forward."
The intent, Conner said, is for international trade in all meat products based on fact and science, not politics and emotion.
"We will not hesitate to face the legal challenges of the WTO process to generate fair market access to our farmers and ranchers who work hard for it," Conner said. "Let me stress that we work hard to keep the U.S. free of foreign animal disease. We are working aggressively to slow the spread of H5N1 virus overseas. While it doesn't impact the beef sector, it is important."
Voluntary ID pushed
Conner said anyone who cares about animals can benefit from the now voluntary animal ID system, but those whose livelihoods depend on animal agriculture have the greatest stake.
"The threat of a foreign animal disease outbreak in this country is, indeed, very real," Conner said. "We pray the outbreaks we've seen around the world never arrive and that we never have to put our National Animal ID System into full implementation, but if we have that one occasion, I think we will be glad we fought this battle and did everything we could to put this system in place.
"NAIS is a modern streamlined system that will help authorities respond to animal disease events. Voluntarily registering your premises insures that you will be notified quickly if one of these events ever affects your farm or puts your animals at risk."
Conner stressed the system has only one expressed purpose, that of protecting animal health.
"USDA has no plan to make any component of this system mandatory or compensatory for all producers. Individual states are free to do that but it is not a federal mandate," Conner said. "Registering premises does not commit producers to the tagging and tracking of animals of the system that will come down the road.
"Right now we have over 348,000 premises registered under the system and that is just shy of the 25 percent goal for premises registration that we set for Jan. 31."
Questions galore
Then came the questions--and lots of comments--from R-CALF members.
One of the first comments drew a large amount of applause.
"I've been on the bottom for 35 years. You're on the top and I've been wanting to talk to you," said one man from Idaho. "Thomas Jefferson said government is the eternal enemy of the people. As far as I'm concerned you people are living up to that statement in spades. If it were up to me I'd say 'Mr. Korea, you don't make a damn thing over there in your country that we got to have in our country. So why don't you turn your stinking little boats around back to Korea.'
"Also, I'd pull our troops out of Korea, not tomorrow but today, and put them down on our southern border. It's about time you people get out of the purple palace of Washington, D.C., and start listening to the people."
Another question: "What is the benefit of the USDA to open the Canadian border? Is it to benefit the U.S. consumer and cattlemen or is it to benefit the U.S. packer that seems to be running the USDA?"
"There's 100 million head of cattle in the U.S. inventory. If what you say is correct, by using the standards of the OIE, does that mean USDA would permit 100 cases of BSE wandering around in this country?"
The question left Conner only with one answer.
"Before I say something that may be worth printing that could set the cattle markets on edge," he said, "let me say I'll get back to you on that?"
More comments on animal ID were like these:
"How can we have an animal ID system when we can't control our borders. You think your border inspection system is working and I'm here to tell you it's a failure. It doesn't work, it hasn't worked and it will never work because of your system of paperwork doesn't work. Let protect our own borders first before we worry about an animal ID system."
"Tell us where
are we wrong"
Herman Schumacher, an R-CALF founding member, asked a series of questions:
"Do you agree that we lost our market because of one cow in Washington state imported from Canada? If so, what makes USDA so sure we will gain any market share sooner if we import Canadian cattle over 30 months of age?"
Conner, in turn, challenged Schumacher to prove the risk assessment plan incorrect.
"We can't set double standards for each country," Conner said. "Our ability to reopen those markets is based on our risk assessment. Tell us where we are wrong."
Another R-CALF USA member combined his thoughts in several questions.
"The cattle market keeps falling. We've got dead cattle from a snowstorm. Japan keeps sending us that beer-fed beef. Why don't we stop them when they stop us? They knock us around and where have you been to help us? Every stitch of clothing I wear is labeled where it came from. Why can't beef? All this ID system is going to do is make money for eartag companies. Why not use brands?"
Conner told the crowd what he knew of the regulatory process.
"For all the table pounding you do for mandatory country-of-origin labeling, there are people from other groups who pound the table equally hard who say no. It sparks debate from both sides of the issue. If the law is still on the books in 2008, we will follow the law."
It was like that for most of the R-CALF appearance for Conner, who was given Secret Service protection for the event, a rarity for a deputy secretary on the road.
Leader faces criticism
Even Chuck Kiker, R-CALF USA's president, wasn't immune from criticism. As a newly-minted member of the Cattlemen's Beef Board, he had to defend his position on the beef checkoff and why members aren't seeing "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" advertising on television and radio in rural areas as much as they used to.
"TV is extremely expensive and it depends on where you put that commercial," Kiker said. "Here we have just $24 million for advertising and when ads cost $200,000 most places to as much as $2.5 million for a 30-second spot on the Super Bowl. You start clicking off $300 or $400,000 at a time and it goes pretty quick.
"They show you where it all goes, to where we're trying to concentrate on TV ads and magazine ads. They'll build beef up where people aren't eating a whole lot. They show you where it's going, like to advertising and so much to research."
In his report to the membership, CEO Bill Bullard said R-CALF USA's membership rolls had shrunk from 18,000 to 15,000 and suffered a $276,000 budget shortfall in 2006. A change in the way memberships among family members were counted and market conditions were accounted for the membership decline.
"This will force some tough decisions from your board in the weeks ahead," Bullard said. "Just like you have tough decisions to make sometimes in your operations. We should expect difficulties until we reach a critical mass of membership. We can do that as we continue to capture the attention and respect of cattlemen and those who support us. There are forces out there wo would like nothing more than to see us go backward, but there should be no reason why we shouldn't reach 30,000 members."
Larry Dreiling can be reached by phone at 785-628-1117 or by e-mail at [email protected]
B
1
2/12/07
4 Star NE
Date: 2/8/07
By Larry Dreiling
The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America heard the highest-ranking government official ever to speak to the group during its recent annual convention at Denver.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner told the group that keeping the U.S. beef market competitive to help producers get a fair price is a priority and that beef trade should be based on the Golden Rule.
He also reiterated the new U.S. Department of Agriculture position that an animal identification system would now be voluntary rather than mandatory.
In response, R-CALF USA members questioned Conner at length about the wisdom of USDA's decision-making process.
"I openly admit to you that fact-based, science-based decision making within the Department of Agriculture is probably more often than not the most popular decisions we make," Conner told the approximately 300 people in attendance at the convention. "It is fundamental that we review science carefully."
Market restoration
In his confirmation hearings, Conner said, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns would keep pushing for beef trade to be restored to normal levels.
"At that time, about 60 percent of our market had been shut down over one Canadian cow. We continue to regain our beef markets, although candor would have me say that the process is a lot slower than we'd like and a lot slower than the patience of most of the cattlemen I know in the countryside."
When 45 countries closed their borders to U.S. beef, $4 billion in trade has since been lost, Conner said.
"USDA has worked hard to reopen these markets. The good news is U.S. beef exports in 2006 were 65 percent higher than the year before," Conner said. "They reached $1.4 billion, which is a noteworthy improvement. We've reopened and maintained markets in 25 countries that either had been closed or had been threatened with closure.
"There are some markets that are open to certain beef cuts only, but they are effectively closed because of various unjustified and unscientific restrictions and by what I'd characterize as protectionist prohibitions."
Conner especially noted South Korea, with its large budget surplus against the United States and Japan with its numerous restrictions on product entry as nations reducing U.S. beef trade.
"Our goal is to normalize beef trade based upon the best science and the best international standards that are available. The U.S. is committed to making sure that our regulatory approach keeps pace with scientific knowledge and international guidelines that are set to the best scientific standards."
Minimal risk rule
Conner noted that USDA had just a few days earlier published an additional proposed minimal risk rule that would expand the list of allowable exports that have a minimal risk of introducing BSE into the U.S.
"As you know, Canada is the only country recognized by the Department of Agriculture," Conner said. "The proposal permits the entry of any live bovine into the U.S. born after March 1, 1999. We believe it would facilitate fair and science based trade. This is the basic rule that was taught to us by our parents--the Golden Rule--that is essential if we are to grow our overall exports that will reach a record population growth going forward."
The intent, Conner said, is for international trade in all meat products based on fact and science, not politics and emotion.
"We will not hesitate to face the legal challenges of the WTO process to generate fair market access to our farmers and ranchers who work hard for it," Conner said. "Let me stress that we work hard to keep the U.S. free of foreign animal disease. We are working aggressively to slow the spread of H5N1 virus overseas. While it doesn't impact the beef sector, it is important."
Voluntary ID pushed
Conner said anyone who cares about animals can benefit from the now voluntary animal ID system, but those whose livelihoods depend on animal agriculture have the greatest stake.
"The threat of a foreign animal disease outbreak in this country is, indeed, very real," Conner said. "We pray the outbreaks we've seen around the world never arrive and that we never have to put our National Animal ID System into full implementation, but if we have that one occasion, I think we will be glad we fought this battle and did everything we could to put this system in place.
"NAIS is a modern streamlined system that will help authorities respond to animal disease events. Voluntarily registering your premises insures that you will be notified quickly if one of these events ever affects your farm or puts your animals at risk."
Conner stressed the system has only one expressed purpose, that of protecting animal health.
"USDA has no plan to make any component of this system mandatory or compensatory for all producers. Individual states are free to do that but it is not a federal mandate," Conner said. "Registering premises does not commit producers to the tagging and tracking of animals of the system that will come down the road.
"Right now we have over 348,000 premises registered under the system and that is just shy of the 25 percent goal for premises registration that we set for Jan. 31."
Questions galore
Then came the questions--and lots of comments--from R-CALF members.
One of the first comments drew a large amount of applause.
"I've been on the bottom for 35 years. You're on the top and I've been wanting to talk to you," said one man from Idaho. "Thomas Jefferson said government is the eternal enemy of the people. As far as I'm concerned you people are living up to that statement in spades. If it were up to me I'd say 'Mr. Korea, you don't make a damn thing over there in your country that we got to have in our country. So why don't you turn your stinking little boats around back to Korea.'
"Also, I'd pull our troops out of Korea, not tomorrow but today, and put them down on our southern border. It's about time you people get out of the purple palace of Washington, D.C., and start listening to the people."
Another question: "What is the benefit of the USDA to open the Canadian border? Is it to benefit the U.S. consumer and cattlemen or is it to benefit the U.S. packer that seems to be running the USDA?"
"There's 100 million head of cattle in the U.S. inventory. If what you say is correct, by using the standards of the OIE, does that mean USDA would permit 100 cases of BSE wandering around in this country?"
The question left Conner only with one answer.
"Before I say something that may be worth printing that could set the cattle markets on edge," he said, "let me say I'll get back to you on that?"
More comments on animal ID were like these:
"How can we have an animal ID system when we can't control our borders. You think your border inspection system is working and I'm here to tell you it's a failure. It doesn't work, it hasn't worked and it will never work because of your system of paperwork doesn't work. Let protect our own borders first before we worry about an animal ID system."
"Tell us where
are we wrong"
Herman Schumacher, an R-CALF founding member, asked a series of questions:
"Do you agree that we lost our market because of one cow in Washington state imported from Canada? If so, what makes USDA so sure we will gain any market share sooner if we import Canadian cattle over 30 months of age?"
Conner, in turn, challenged Schumacher to prove the risk assessment plan incorrect.
"We can't set double standards for each country," Conner said. "Our ability to reopen those markets is based on our risk assessment. Tell us where we are wrong."
Another R-CALF USA member combined his thoughts in several questions.
"The cattle market keeps falling. We've got dead cattle from a snowstorm. Japan keeps sending us that beer-fed beef. Why don't we stop them when they stop us? They knock us around and where have you been to help us? Every stitch of clothing I wear is labeled where it came from. Why can't beef? All this ID system is going to do is make money for eartag companies. Why not use brands?"
Conner told the crowd what he knew of the regulatory process.
"For all the table pounding you do for mandatory country-of-origin labeling, there are people from other groups who pound the table equally hard who say no. It sparks debate from both sides of the issue. If the law is still on the books in 2008, we will follow the law."
It was like that for most of the R-CALF appearance for Conner, who was given Secret Service protection for the event, a rarity for a deputy secretary on the road.
Leader faces criticism
Even Chuck Kiker, R-CALF USA's president, wasn't immune from criticism. As a newly-minted member of the Cattlemen's Beef Board, he had to defend his position on the beef checkoff and why members aren't seeing "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" advertising on television and radio in rural areas as much as they used to.
"TV is extremely expensive and it depends on where you put that commercial," Kiker said. "Here we have just $24 million for advertising and when ads cost $200,000 most places to as much as $2.5 million for a 30-second spot on the Super Bowl. You start clicking off $300 or $400,000 at a time and it goes pretty quick.
"They show you where it all goes, to where we're trying to concentrate on TV ads and magazine ads. They'll build beef up where people aren't eating a whole lot. They show you where it's going, like to advertising and so much to research."
In his report to the membership, CEO Bill Bullard said R-CALF USA's membership rolls had shrunk from 18,000 to 15,000 and suffered a $276,000 budget shortfall in 2006. A change in the way memberships among family members were counted and market conditions were accounted for the membership decline.
"This will force some tough decisions from your board in the weeks ahead," Bullard said. "Just like you have tough decisions to make sometimes in your operations. We should expect difficulties until we reach a critical mass of membership. We can do that as we continue to capture the attention and respect of cattlemen and those who support us. There are forces out there wo would like nothing more than to see us go backward, but there should be no reason why we shouldn't reach 30,000 members."
Larry Dreiling can be reached by phone at 785-628-1117 or by e-mail at [email protected]
B
1
2/12/07
4 Star NE
Date: 2/8/07