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Anonymous
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Today 3/19/2005 6:31:00 AM
Cattle Alert: R-Calf Statement Regarding Japan’s Ban on U.S. Beef Exports
(Billings, Mont.) – The following statement should be attributed to R-CALF USA President Leo McDonnell, regarding Japan’s ban on U.S. beef exports:
“The Bush Administration should not be playing politics with a disease as misunderstood and as threatening as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
“Japan used the identification of an infected Canadian cow in Washington state as a convenient excuse to ban U.S. beef, even though they knew then – and know now – we have the safest beef in the world. We have the safest beef because the United States always has maintained the highest health and safety standards. That safety, though, is at risk if we do what this Administration proposes.
“Lowering standards by allowing more Canadian cattle into the United States will not convince Japan to open its market to U.S. beef. It will jeopardize safety and undermine consumer confidence in this country.
“Let’s take away Japan's excuse by doing what scientists and experts – even those within the Administration – say the U.S. should do: require Canada to test more cattle and younger cattle, and enforce and strengthen the feed bans in both Canada and the United States. In addition, the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law already in place should be implemented at once so U.S. consumers can make informed decisions when purchasing beef.
“Requiring Canada to do the right thing regarding its BSE problem only enhances the health and safety of the U.S. consumers and that of consumers who live in our export markets around the globe.
“Nobody wants to open the Japanese market more than U.S. cattlemen and ranchers. But, we can’t solve the export problem with Japan until we solve the import and potential BSE exposure problem with Canada, especially under the current rules being sought by USDA.
“R-CALF USA obtained an unofficial transcript of a Japanese news conference held Thursday by Japanese Under-Secretary Ishihara with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
“Part of that unofficial translation indicates: ‘Japan has been consulting with the government of Canada at working group level meetings. We have been asking both the U.S. and Canada to take equivalent measures to ours, then we will decide if Japan will resume beef imports from Canada or not, regardless of whether the issue between the U.S. and Canada is resolved or not.’”
Cattle Alert: R-Calf Statement Regarding Japan’s Ban on U.S. Beef Exports
(Billings, Mont.) – The following statement should be attributed to R-CALF USA President Leo McDonnell, regarding Japan’s ban on U.S. beef exports:
“The Bush Administration should not be playing politics with a disease as misunderstood and as threatening as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
“Japan used the identification of an infected Canadian cow in Washington state as a convenient excuse to ban U.S. beef, even though they knew then – and know now – we have the safest beef in the world. We have the safest beef because the United States always has maintained the highest health and safety standards. That safety, though, is at risk if we do what this Administration proposes.
“Lowering standards by allowing more Canadian cattle into the United States will not convince Japan to open its market to U.S. beef. It will jeopardize safety and undermine consumer confidence in this country.
“Let’s take away Japan's excuse by doing what scientists and experts – even those within the Administration – say the U.S. should do: require Canada to test more cattle and younger cattle, and enforce and strengthen the feed bans in both Canada and the United States. In addition, the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law already in place should be implemented at once so U.S. consumers can make informed decisions when purchasing beef.
“Requiring Canada to do the right thing regarding its BSE problem only enhances the health and safety of the U.S. consumers and that of consumers who live in our export markets around the globe.
“Nobody wants to open the Japanese market more than U.S. cattlemen and ranchers. But, we can’t solve the export problem with Japan until we solve the import and potential BSE exposure problem with Canada, especially under the current rules being sought by USDA.
“R-CALF USA obtained an unofficial transcript of a Japanese news conference held Thursday by Japanese Under-Secretary Ishihara with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
“Part of that unofficial translation indicates: ‘Japan has been consulting with the government of Canada at working group level meetings. We have been asking both the U.S. and Canada to take equivalent measures to ours, then we will decide if Japan will resume beef imports from Canada or not, regardless of whether the issue between the U.S. and Canada is resolved or not.’”
