Sandhusker
Well-known member
FACT 1) When BSE first hit the international spotlight, the USDA reported to Congress what their plan was for combatting this disease. Among other things, they said the first line of defense was to ban live animals, beef, and anything that could possibly harbor the infectious agent from countries that were BSE positive. It was a zero tolerance policy based on the best knowledge we had on the disease. As BSE turned up in various countries, 22 in all, this zero tolerance ban was placed on them and there was no waivering. Actually, there was no pressure to waiver.
ANY DISAGREEMENT SO FAR?
FACT 2) Canada became the 23rd country in the world to discover BSE in their borders in May, 2003. True to policy, the USDA then closed the border to Canada, as did about every other country in the world. However, this time, there was pressure from the US packing industry to change this policy almost immediately. What was different about Canada? Canada had the very same disease other countries had. We didn't know anything about BSE that we didn't know prior to implementing policy. Canada was no different than any other country that reported a single case except for one thing - money. US companies made a lot of money off of Canadian cattle. The USDA quickly began making preperations to break their standing policy and resume trade with Canada.
ANY DISAGREEMENT SO FAR?
FACT 3) Enter R-CALF, a group of ranchers who's livelihoods depend on the health of the beef and cattle industies and who have EVERYTHING to lose if the US cattle industry falters. They saw a clear danger to resuming trade with a BSE positive country. They questioned why the zero-tolerance policy was being changed when all of the reasons used to formulate the policy remained unchanged. They viewed the resumption of trade with Canada as a sell out of established health policy for all for the economic benefit of a few - the US multi-national packers and sued the US Government to stop it.
ANY DISAGREEMENT SO FAR?
Now you think R-CALF is to blame for all the fallout of a closed border? They didn't close it, Tam. If the USDA had done what they testified to Congress that they were going to do, the border would still be closed. Who would you blame then? R-CALF is only demanding that the government agency in charge of food and herd health ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY SAID WAS NECESSARY TO DO. Everybody was forewarned what the policy would be if Canada got BSE. They had years to evaluate how they would be effected and years to make contigency plans. There were 22 examples to learn from.
You've got a lot of problems up there, none of which was caused by R-CALF. ALL of them were cause by producers following poor leadership or sitting on their hands doing nothing. Are you a leader up there?
ANY DISAGREEMENT SO FAR?
FACT 2) Canada became the 23rd country in the world to discover BSE in their borders in May, 2003. True to policy, the USDA then closed the border to Canada, as did about every other country in the world. However, this time, there was pressure from the US packing industry to change this policy almost immediately. What was different about Canada? Canada had the very same disease other countries had. We didn't know anything about BSE that we didn't know prior to implementing policy. Canada was no different than any other country that reported a single case except for one thing - money. US companies made a lot of money off of Canadian cattle. The USDA quickly began making preperations to break their standing policy and resume trade with Canada.
ANY DISAGREEMENT SO FAR?
FACT 3) Enter R-CALF, a group of ranchers who's livelihoods depend on the health of the beef and cattle industies and who have EVERYTHING to lose if the US cattle industry falters. They saw a clear danger to resuming trade with a BSE positive country. They questioned why the zero-tolerance policy was being changed when all of the reasons used to formulate the policy remained unchanged. They viewed the resumption of trade with Canada as a sell out of established health policy for all for the economic benefit of a few - the US multi-national packers and sued the US Government to stop it.
ANY DISAGREEMENT SO FAR?
Now you think R-CALF is to blame for all the fallout of a closed border? They didn't close it, Tam. If the USDA had done what they testified to Congress that they were going to do, the border would still be closed. Who would you blame then? R-CALF is only demanding that the government agency in charge of food and herd health ACTUALLY DO WHAT THEY SAID WAS NECESSARY TO DO. Everybody was forewarned what the policy would be if Canada got BSE. They had years to evaluate how they would be effected and years to make contigency plans. There were 22 examples to learn from.
You've got a lot of problems up there, none of which was caused by R-CALF. ALL of them were cause by producers following poor leadership or sitting on their hands doing nothing. Are you a leader up there?