TimH
Well-known member
SD Stockgrowers Announce:
SD Producer Paid for Canadian Cattle Sent to Swift
By The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association
February 01, 2007
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) was pleased to learn that Jan Van Dyke, Wessington Springs, S.D., was recently paid for Canadian cattle that had been condemned at a Swift packing plant in Nebraska.
Van Dyke, a farmer feeder, says the calves were not represented as Canadian cattle at the market where he purchased them in February 2006. He found out only when the cattle were finished and transported to a Swift packing plant, where the Canadian eartags were cut out and photographed. He was then informed that the cattle had been condemned, and that he would not receive payment for them or for the offal on the entire load.
According to SDSGA President Rick Fox, Hermosa, S.D., Van Dyke has now received a check from Swift to cover the value of the fat cattle and the offal, a total of about $11,000, which was originally held out of his check for the load of fat cattle delivered in November.
"The Stockgrowers were involved from the moment we heard about this incident. There were several details about the Canadian cattle that had us concerned, but the biggest worry was the fact that this South Dakota feeder had been denied payment on seven head of cattle, plus the offal for the entire load."
Fox says that Van Dyke was an innocent party who had unknowingly purchased Canadian feeder calves that should never have entered commerce.
He was later contacted by a USDA investigator who told him that there had been a mix-up, and that USDA believed that the cattle had actually never been on his place, but had been shipped directly from Canada to the Swift packing plant. Van Dyke disagrees.
"I gave the USDA inspector an affidavit the last time he was here, stating that the suspect cattle were definitely in the load we sent to the packer. Although we had not known that they were Canadian cattle, we recognized the eartags that were shown to us by the inspector after the cattle were received by the packer," said Van Dyke. The Van Dyke family appreciates the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, Herman Schumacher, Herreid Livestock, and Bill Bullard, R-CALF USA, for getting involved to make sure he received payment for all of the cattle he delivered.
Fox is glad that the Stockgrowers could help. "I just wonder how many more feeders are delivering cattle to packing plants across the country and running into this same problem. I hope they speak out so we can resolve this problem."
Fox says that in addition to the Stockgrowers concerns about Van Dyke's check, they are also worried about USDA's importation process. "When cattle enter the U.S. from Canada, they are supposed to be shipped in sealed trucks to an identified feedlot. They are to remain in that particular feedlot until they are ready to be slaughtered." According to Fox, if USDA had enforced their own import guidelines, these calves would never have showed up in a South Dakota salebarn. "I always believed that our U.S. Department of Agriculture was in place to help U.S. producers, but their lack of enforcement of their own guidelines, as well as their insistence on importation of foreign cattle at any expense has caused harm to our entire industry, and serious harm to Van Dyke."
An even larger looming concern, according to Fox, is that rather than tightening security to prevent problems like this in the future, USDA has actually now proposed further broadening import guidelines to include older cattle from Canada.
"It's ludicrous to think that USDA would even consider allowing the importation of cattle from Canada that are over 30 months of age. It is a proven fact that Canada has a BSE problem in their cattle that were born after their feed ban was implemented. Back in 2003, the U.S. lost our entire export market due to a Canadian-born cow found in Washington State with BSE. Now USDA proposes to re-open the border to these potentially diseased older cows from Canada! Clearly they are unable to keep track of the Canadian cattle that enter this country, and they become the burden of the U.S. producer who knowingly or unknowingly purchases them. USDA needs to pull their proposal to allow 'over-30-month' cattle and also their rule allowing 'under-30-month cattle' and take the time to figure out what the U.S. cattle industry really needs - protection from animal disease at our borders."
According to Fox, SDSGA sent Secretary Johanns a letter requesting a report on the details of USDA's investigation and an explanation regarding how the Canadian cattle were allowed to enter commerce. Fox says they are still awaiting a response to their letter.
Mary Smith
South Dakota Stockgrowers Association
426 St. Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: 605-342-0429
Fax: 605-342-0463
SD Producer Paid for Canadian Cattle Sent to Swift
By The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association
February 01, 2007
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) was pleased to learn that Jan Van Dyke, Wessington Springs, S.D., was recently paid for Canadian cattle that had been condemned at a Swift packing plant in Nebraska.
Van Dyke, a farmer feeder, says the calves were not represented as Canadian cattle at the market where he purchased them in February 2006. He found out only when the cattle were finished and transported to a Swift packing plant, where the Canadian eartags were cut out and photographed. He was then informed that the cattle had been condemned, and that he would not receive payment for them or for the offal on the entire load.
According to SDSGA President Rick Fox, Hermosa, S.D., Van Dyke has now received a check from Swift to cover the value of the fat cattle and the offal, a total of about $11,000, which was originally held out of his check for the load of fat cattle delivered in November.
"The Stockgrowers were involved from the moment we heard about this incident. There were several details about the Canadian cattle that had us concerned, but the biggest worry was the fact that this South Dakota feeder had been denied payment on seven head of cattle, plus the offal for the entire load."
Fox says that Van Dyke was an innocent party who had unknowingly purchased Canadian feeder calves that should never have entered commerce.
He was later contacted by a USDA investigator who told him that there had been a mix-up, and that USDA believed that the cattle had actually never been on his place, but had been shipped directly from Canada to the Swift packing plant. Van Dyke disagrees.
"I gave the USDA inspector an affidavit the last time he was here, stating that the suspect cattle were definitely in the load we sent to the packer. Although we had not known that they were Canadian cattle, we recognized the eartags that were shown to us by the inspector after the cattle were received by the packer," said Van Dyke. The Van Dyke family appreciates the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, Herman Schumacher, Herreid Livestock, and Bill Bullard, R-CALF USA, for getting involved to make sure he received payment for all of the cattle he delivered.
Fox is glad that the Stockgrowers could help. "I just wonder how many more feeders are delivering cattle to packing plants across the country and running into this same problem. I hope they speak out so we can resolve this problem."
Fox says that in addition to the Stockgrowers concerns about Van Dyke's check, they are also worried about USDA's importation process. "When cattle enter the U.S. from Canada, they are supposed to be shipped in sealed trucks to an identified feedlot. They are to remain in that particular feedlot until they are ready to be slaughtered." According to Fox, if USDA had enforced their own import guidelines, these calves would never have showed up in a South Dakota salebarn. "I always believed that our U.S. Department of Agriculture was in place to help U.S. producers, but their lack of enforcement of their own guidelines, as well as their insistence on importation of foreign cattle at any expense has caused harm to our entire industry, and serious harm to Van Dyke."
An even larger looming concern, according to Fox, is that rather than tightening security to prevent problems like this in the future, USDA has actually now proposed further broadening import guidelines to include older cattle from Canada.
"It's ludicrous to think that USDA would even consider allowing the importation of cattle from Canada that are over 30 months of age. It is a proven fact that Canada has a BSE problem in their cattle that were born after their feed ban was implemented. Back in 2003, the U.S. lost our entire export market due to a Canadian-born cow found in Washington State with BSE. Now USDA proposes to re-open the border to these potentially diseased older cows from Canada! Clearly they are unable to keep track of the Canadian cattle that enter this country, and they become the burden of the U.S. producer who knowingly or unknowingly purchases them. USDA needs to pull their proposal to allow 'over-30-month' cattle and also their rule allowing 'under-30-month cattle' and take the time to figure out what the U.S. cattle industry really needs - protection from animal disease at our borders."
According to Fox, SDSGA sent Secretary Johanns a letter requesting a report on the details of USDA's investigation and an explanation regarding how the Canadian cattle were allowed to enter commerce. Fox says they are still awaiting a response to their letter.
Mary Smith
South Dakota Stockgrowers Association
426 St. Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: 605-342-0429
Fax: 605-342-0463
