A
Anonymous
Guest
Looks like Tyson and the Packer Boys want access back to their Canadian cattle to me Kaiser-- Or are they lying in their press releases just to fool all of us? :wink: :lol: :lol: They're about the only ones supporting USDA :roll:
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Tyson Sides With USDA On Canada Beef Imports
By Kim Souza
The Morning News
February 9, 2007
Wednesday's discovery of Canada's ninth case of mad cow disease has several interested U.S. cattle groups now voicing opposition to the American government's plan to fully resume imports of older Canadian cattle.
But Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc., which operates beef processing plants on both sides of the border, said they would favor the looser restrictions.
Tyson recently reported its beef export sales were still only 32 percent of the pre-BSE highs recorded in 2003, despite some key markets opening several months ago. The company is the largest beef producer in the world.
Company officials said in an emailed statement Friday they support the view of the American Meat Institute on the full restoration of cattle and beef trade with Canada.
"As AMI (the meat institute) has noted, it's scientifically justified and appropriate under international animal health guidelines. The import of older Canadian beef animals would not have a direct impact on our operations, since our U.S. beef plants typically process cattle under the age of 30 months."
In 2006, Canada reported five new cases of BSE, including one in a cow born five years after the feed safeguards were adopted. Mad cow is also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE.
The United States Department of Agriculture has proposed free movement of live cattle age 30 months and up to resume crossing the border and the proposed rules are up for public review until March 12.
Travis Justice spokesman for the Arkansas Beef Council said this new BSE case raises concern because it is the older cattle -- more than 30 months of age -- that are at an increased risk for developing BSE.
"A little more caution might be in order since this new discovery. I think extending the March 12 deadline for public review on the proposed rule might be wise. We've waited three years, what's a few more months," Justice said.
BSE has cost the U.S. beef industry billions of dollars in trade since the first case was discovered on U.S. soil in December 2003.
"The beef industry has only recovered roughly 50 percent of the trading volume lost when beef exports were banned in 2003," Justice said.
Canada has reported nine cases of BSE with one-tenth the herd size of the United States, who has had three cases -- one of which originated in Canada he added.
The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund who represents 18,000 cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues has been vocal about the USDA's new plan.
"This demonstrates just how ridiculous and premature it is for our government to be considering even further relaxation of our import standards that would allow imports of Canadian cattle older than 30 months of age. As well as the government's intention to allow beef products from Canadian cattle of any age to enter this country," said Dr. Max Thornsberry, a veterinarian who also chairs the fund's Animal Health Committee.
The National Cattlemen's Association said this latest case of BSE does not necessarily raise new concerns because the animal appears to be in the same age category of previous cases within Canada, but it does illustrate some of the concerns they have already expressed about the proposed rule.
"We want to make sure that if older Canadian cattle are allowed to be imported they are permanently marked all the way through harvest so we always have a clear trail from where the cattle originated, said Joe Schuele, spokesman for the cattlemen's association.
This is important Schuele said, because of the difficulty the U.S. has had in fully restoring trade with its other trading partners. Despite the low U.S. occurrence in BSE some of its trading partners are still reluctant.
The USDA said in a recent press release they are sending an expert to investigate this latest case of BSE but did not anticipate that it would impact domestic trade with Canada.
Tyson has reported losses in its beef segment for several consecutive quarters including $23 million in the first quarter of 2007, linked to operating losses at the company's Lakeside operation in Alberta, Canada.
The losses in Tyson's Canadian beef facility stem mostly from labor issues, not BSE and CEO Dick Bond said recently that the situation is improving.
The export markets are important to Lakeside as well as the rest of the Canadian beef industry, said spokesman Gary Mickelson. A significant percentage of the beef produced in Canada is typically exported to other countries, such as the United States, he added.
nwaonline.net
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Tyson Sides With USDA On Canada Beef Imports
By Kim Souza
The Morning News
February 9, 2007
Wednesday's discovery of Canada's ninth case of mad cow disease has several interested U.S. cattle groups now voicing opposition to the American government's plan to fully resume imports of older Canadian cattle.
But Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc., which operates beef processing plants on both sides of the border, said they would favor the looser restrictions.
Tyson recently reported its beef export sales were still only 32 percent of the pre-BSE highs recorded in 2003, despite some key markets opening several months ago. The company is the largest beef producer in the world.
Company officials said in an emailed statement Friday they support the view of the American Meat Institute on the full restoration of cattle and beef trade with Canada.
"As AMI (the meat institute) has noted, it's scientifically justified and appropriate under international animal health guidelines. The import of older Canadian beef animals would not have a direct impact on our operations, since our U.S. beef plants typically process cattle under the age of 30 months."
In 2006, Canada reported five new cases of BSE, including one in a cow born five years after the feed safeguards were adopted. Mad cow is also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE.
The United States Department of Agriculture has proposed free movement of live cattle age 30 months and up to resume crossing the border and the proposed rules are up for public review until March 12.
Travis Justice spokesman for the Arkansas Beef Council said this new BSE case raises concern because it is the older cattle -- more than 30 months of age -- that are at an increased risk for developing BSE.
"A little more caution might be in order since this new discovery. I think extending the March 12 deadline for public review on the proposed rule might be wise. We've waited three years, what's a few more months," Justice said.
BSE has cost the U.S. beef industry billions of dollars in trade since the first case was discovered on U.S. soil in December 2003.
"The beef industry has only recovered roughly 50 percent of the trading volume lost when beef exports were banned in 2003," Justice said.
Canada has reported nine cases of BSE with one-tenth the herd size of the United States, who has had three cases -- one of which originated in Canada he added.
The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund who represents 18,000 cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues has been vocal about the USDA's new plan.
"This demonstrates just how ridiculous and premature it is for our government to be considering even further relaxation of our import standards that would allow imports of Canadian cattle older than 30 months of age. As well as the government's intention to allow beef products from Canadian cattle of any age to enter this country," said Dr. Max Thornsberry, a veterinarian who also chairs the fund's Animal Health Committee.
The National Cattlemen's Association said this latest case of BSE does not necessarily raise new concerns because the animal appears to be in the same age category of previous cases within Canada, but it does illustrate some of the concerns they have already expressed about the proposed rule.
"We want to make sure that if older Canadian cattle are allowed to be imported they are permanently marked all the way through harvest so we always have a clear trail from where the cattle originated, said Joe Schuele, spokesman for the cattlemen's association.
This is important Schuele said, because of the difficulty the U.S. has had in fully restoring trade with its other trading partners. Despite the low U.S. occurrence in BSE some of its trading partners are still reluctant.
The USDA said in a recent press release they are sending an expert to investigate this latest case of BSE but did not anticipate that it would impact domestic trade with Canada.
Tyson has reported losses in its beef segment for several consecutive quarters including $23 million in the first quarter of 2007, linked to operating losses at the company's Lakeside operation in Alberta, Canada.
The losses in Tyson's Canadian beef facility stem mostly from labor issues, not BSE and CEO Dick Bond said recently that the situation is improving.
The export markets are important to Lakeside as well as the rest of the Canadian beef industry, said spokesman Gary Mickelson. A significant percentage of the beef produced in Canada is typically exported to other countries, such as the United States, he added.
nwaonline.net