Producer paid for Canadian cattle sent to Swift
South Dakota
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association was pleased to learn that Jan Van Dyke, Wessington Springs, 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, 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.
B
24
2/12/07
4 Star NE
Date: 2/7/07
http://www.hpj.com/archives/2007/feb07/feb12/ProducerpaidforCanadiancatt.cfm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2007
For more information contact Carrie Stadheim at:
605-342-0429 or
[email protected]
www.southdakotastockgrowers.org
SD Stockgrowers Concerned – Illegal Canadian Cattle Discovered in the U.S.
Rapid City ~ The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) hopes USDA will take the necessary steps to remedy a loss of revenue for a South Dakota producer who unknowingly purchased Canadian feeder cattle, says SDSGA President Rick Fox.
An independent South Dakota feeder was under the impression, in November of 2006, that he had delivered U.S. cattle to a slaughter plant in Nebraska, but found out differently when the packing plant denied him payment on seven head of the fat cattle, says Fox. “He bought calves in South Dakota, and fed them at home in his feedlot like he always does, so he was pretty surprised when he got a call from the packing plant telling them that seven head out of the load had been condemned because they were of Canadian origin. The offal on the entire load was also condemned, which meant another substantial loss in income. He did not realize that the cattle were from Canada - he had purchased them assuming that they were domestic cattle.”
Even though Canadian eartags were identified in the calves, the cattle have not been traced back to any particular farm or ranch in Canada . “Bureaucrats in Washington tell us that the U.S. cattle industry needs an individual animal ID program to allow for fast traceback, but the Stockgrowers believe that tracking of imported cattle should be a higher priority. Unfortunately, it appears that USDA is not keeping track of the cattle being imported from Canada - under USDA’s rules, these calves should never have been allowed to be sold in a South Dakota auction market. The Canadian officials apparently haven’t been able to trace back the movements and origin of the calves, despite the official Canadian tags found in their ears.”
Fox says that USDA implemented a rule in 2005 to allow the importation of Canadian feeder cattle under 30 months of age, but only under very strict conditions. “The cattle are supposed to enter the U.S. in sealed trucks and be transported directly to an identified feedlot. They are then to remain in the identified feedlot until they are hauled to a slaughter plant in a sealed truck. The fact that these calves showed up at a salebarn in South Dakota , were allowed to intermingle with U.S. cattle, and were not represented as Canadian cattle, indicates that USDA is not monitoring the very system it created.”
“USDA’s mistake has really hit close to home – it has cost a South Dakota producer immensely. The Stockgrowers will keep working with him in hopes of recovering his lost income and preventing this problem from happening again,” said Fox.
Fox said that the Stockgrowers have sent a letter to USDA with three requests: 1) a full update regarding the progress of the investigation; 2) an explanation as to the non-compliance that allowed the mistake and; 3) indemnification for the feeder’s financial loss.
The South Dakota feeder hopes to recover his lost income and will be cautious about purchasing calves in the future. He also hopes USDA’s investigation will soon reveal whether this was an isolated case, or if herd mates or other calves entered the U.S. and were sold and co-mingled illegally. Fox agrees. “It’s tough to believe that there aren’t more calves that crossed the border with these.”
According to Fox, USDA has now proposed a further relaxation of import regulations to allow cattle from Canada that are over 30 months of age. “It is ludicrous that USDA would even consider relaxing the very import rules that they are already having difficulty policing. Before they even think about allowing older Canadian cattle to be imported, I hope they can figure out a monitoring system that works.”
Fox said that SDSGA remains in opposition of the original rule to allow “under 30 month” cattle to be imported from Canada , as well as the proposed rule to allow importation of cattle over 30 months. “ Canada has a BSE problem, plain and simple. USDA has placed U.S. producers and the entire industry at risk by allowing Canadian cattle to enter the country; they have further jeopardized our operations by not enforcing their import rules. The thought of relaxing the import regulations now to allow ‘over 30 month’ Canadian cattle to be imported is absolutely irresponsible.”
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http://www.southdakotastockgrowers.org/news%20releases.htm
Subject: Importation of Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef from Japan [Docket No. 05-004-1] RIN 0579-AB93 TSS SUBMISSION
Date: August 24, 2005 at 2:47 pm PST
August 24, 2005
Importation of Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef from Japan [Docket No. 05-004-1] RIN 0579-AB93 TSS SUBMISSION
Greetings APHIS ET AL,
My name is Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
I would kindly like to comment on [Docket No. 05-004-1] RIN 0579-AB93 ;
PROPOSED RULES
Exportation and importation of animals and animal products:
Whole cuts of boneless beef from-
Japan,
48494-48500 [05-16422]
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ContentViewer?objectId=0900006480086ebc&disposition=attachment&contentType=msw6
Docket No. 03-080-1 -- USDA ISSUES PROPOSED RULE TO ALLOW LIVE ANIMAL IMPORTS FROM CANADA
https://web01.aphis.usda.gov/BSEcom.nsf/0/b78ba677e2b0c12185256dd300649f9d?OpenDocument&AutoFramed
PLEASE SEE FULL TEXT HERE ;
Docket No. 03-080-1 -- USDA ISSUES PROPOSED RULE TO ALLOW LIVE ANIMAL IMPORTS FROM CANADA
http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/07/docket-no-03-080-1-usda-issues-proposed.html
Docket APHIS-2006-0026 Docket Title Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Animal Identification and Importation of Commodities Docket Type Rulemaking Document APHIS-2006-0026-0001 Document Title Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Minimal-Risk Regions, Identification of Ruminants and Processing and Importation of Commodities Public Submission APHIS-2006-0026-0012 Public Submission Title Comment from Terry S Singletary
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064801e47e1
Docket APHIS-2006-0041 Docket Title Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Minimal-Risk Regions; Importation of Live Bovines and Products Derived from Bovines Commodities Docket Type Rulemaking Document APHIS-2006-0041-0001 Document Title Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Minimal-Risk Regions; Importation of Live Bovines and Products Derived From Bovines Public Submission APHIS-2006-0041-0028 Public Submission Title Comment from Terry S Singletary
Comment 2006-2007 USA AND OIE POISONING GLOBE WITH BSE MRR POLICY
THE USA is in a most unique situation, one of unknown circumstances with human and animal TSE. THE USA has the most documented TSE in different species to date, with substrains growing in those species (BSE/BASE in cattle and CWD in deer and elk, there is evidence here with different strains), and we know that sheep scrapie has over 20 strains of the typical scrapie with atypical scrapie documented and also BSE is very likely to have passed to sheep. all of which have been rendered and fed back to animals for human and animal consumption, a frightening scenario. WE do not know the outcome, and to play with human life around the globe with the very likely TSE tainted products from the USA, in my opinion is like playing Russian roulette, of long duration, with potential long and enduring consequences, of which once done, cannot be undone. These are the facts as I have come to know through daily and extensive research of TSE over 9 years, since 12/14/97. I do not pretend to have all the answers, but i do know to continue to believe in the ukbsenvcjd only theory of transmission to humans of only this one strain from only this one TSE from only this one part of the globe, will only lead to further failures, and needless exposure to humans from all strains of TSE, and possibly many more needless deaths from TSE via a multitude of proven routes and sources via many studies with primates and rodents and other species.
MY personal belief, since you ask, is that not only the Canadian border, but the USA border, and the Mexican border should be sealed up tighter than a drum for exporting there TSE tainted products, until a validated, 100% sensitive test is available, and all animals for human and animal consumption are tested. all we are doing is the exact same thing the UK did with there mad cow poisoning when they exported it all over the globe, all the while knowing what they were doing. this BSE MRR policy is nothing more than a legal tool to do just exactly what the UK did, thanks to the OIE and GW, it's legal now. and they executed Saddam for poisoning ???
go figure. ...
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064801f8151
Docket APHIS-2006-0041 Docket Title Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Minimal-Risk Regions; Importation of Live Bovines and Products Derived from Bovines Commodities Docket Type Rulemaking Document APHIS-2006-0041-0001 Document Title Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Minimal-Risk Regions; Importation of Live Bovines and Products Derived From Bovines Public Submission APHIS-2006-0041-0028.1 Public Submission Title Attachment to Singletary comment
January 28, 2007
Greetings APHIS,
I would kindly like to submit the following to ;
BSE; MRR; IMPORTATION OF LIVE BOVINES AND PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM BOVINES [Docket No. APHIS-2006-0041] RIN 0579-AC01
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ContentViewer?objectId=09000064801f8152&disposition=attachment&contentType=msw8
TSS