This is a lawsuit in the making...................good luck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USDA won't extend comment period on Canadian rule
Monday, March 5, 2007, 2:10 PM
by Peter Shinn
Audio related to this story
AUDIO: Peter Shinn reports (43 sec MP3).
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and R-CALF USA have both asked USDA to extend the comment period on a proposed rule that would re-open the U.S. border to all Canadian cattle born after March 1st, 1999. According to USDA, that's the date when Canada's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban should have taken effect, so cattle born thereafter shouldn't be at risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
But three of the last five Canadian BSE cases occurred in animals born after March 1st, 1999, a fact pointed out by both NMPF and R-CALF USDA. Nevertheless, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight told Brownfield Friday the public comment period on USDA’s proposed rule will close on March 12th as originally planned.
"I replied back to them that we didn't see a need for that," Knight said, citing a "robust" number of comments on the proposed rule already received.
According to Knight, science shows Canadian beef and cattle are safe. And he said if the U.S. wants Japan and South Korea to fully re-open their market to American beef, then U.S. ag producers must set the example when it comes to beef from their Canadian neighbors.
"The opportunities for ranchers, whether they're in South Dakota or California, are much greater in breaking back into that Japanese and Korean market than it is about a little cow beef coming in from Canada," Knight explained.
On another matter, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers are making efforts to speed implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling for meat, better known as COOL. Current law calls for COOL implementation by October 1st, 2008. COOL supporters want that moved up by a year.
USDA officials at the highest levels have made clear they support a voluntary, rather than mandatory, approach to COOL. And Knight said implementing COOL any sooner than October of 2008 would be extremely difficult for USDA.
"Quite frankly, I don't think that'd be a good idea," Knight said. "We're on the process for achieving that 2008 deadline. A lot of things have changed. Folks want us to do a robust rule - really work on it, make improvements on it," he added. "We wouldn't be able to do that if they roll it up into this fiscal year."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USDA won't extend comment period on Canadian rule
Monday, March 5, 2007, 2:10 PM
by Peter Shinn
Audio related to this story
AUDIO: Peter Shinn reports (43 sec MP3).
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and R-CALF USA have both asked USDA to extend the comment period on a proposed rule that would re-open the U.S. border to all Canadian cattle born after March 1st, 1999. According to USDA, that's the date when Canada's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban should have taken effect, so cattle born thereafter shouldn't be at risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
But three of the last five Canadian BSE cases occurred in animals born after March 1st, 1999, a fact pointed out by both NMPF and R-CALF USDA. Nevertheless, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight told Brownfield Friday the public comment period on USDA’s proposed rule will close on March 12th as originally planned.
"I replied back to them that we didn't see a need for that," Knight said, citing a "robust" number of comments on the proposed rule already received.
According to Knight, science shows Canadian beef and cattle are safe. And he said if the U.S. wants Japan and South Korea to fully re-open their market to American beef, then U.S. ag producers must set the example when it comes to beef from their Canadian neighbors.
"The opportunities for ranchers, whether they're in South Dakota or California, are much greater in breaking back into that Japanese and Korean market than it is about a little cow beef coming in from Canada," Knight explained.
On another matter, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers are making efforts to speed implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling for meat, better known as COOL. Current law calls for COOL implementation by October 1st, 2008. COOL supporters want that moved up by a year.
USDA officials at the highest levels have made clear they support a voluntary, rather than mandatory, approach to COOL. And Knight said implementing COOL any sooner than October of 2008 would be extremely difficult for USDA.
"Quite frankly, I don't think that'd be a good idea," Knight said. "We're on the process for achieving that 2008 deadline. A lot of things have changed. Folks want us to do a robust rule - really work on it, make improvements on it," he added. "We wouldn't be able to do that if they roll it up into this fiscal year."