Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
> U.S. ranchers to push ahead on cattle fight
> Beth Gorham
> Canadian Press
> Friday, April 07, 2006
>
> WASHINGTON -- A U.S. ranchers' group said Thursday it's not giving up its
> fight to stop some Canadian cattle from crossing the border, despite losing
> its bid this week for a total ban.
>
> R-CALF United Stockgrowers will now target U.S. government plans to resume
> trade in older cows and beef products, said the group which has long argued
> imports are unsafe because of Canada's mad cow cases.
>
> Montana District Judge Richard Cebull has denied R-CALF's request for a
> hearing on a permanent injunction, saying his "hands are tied" by a previous
> appeals court ruling that found officials had a firm basis for reopening the
> border.
>
> "R-CALF is deeply disapointed with the outcome," said president Chuck Kiker.
>
> "This is a loss for every single cattle producer in the United States."
>
> The group is asking members to vote by mail-in ballots to take "appropriate
> action" against the U.S. government. Its legal challenges prolonged a crisis
> for Canadian cattlemen that hit when Canada's first mad cow case was
> discovered in May 2003.
>
> A number of options will be considered, said Kiker.
>
> In Canada, Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl welcomed Cebull's decision,
> calling it a "great development."
>
> "Canada and the U.S. continue to have the same risk status," he said.
>
> "Both our countries have adopted extensive complementary and parallel
> measures to protect human and animal health, as well as food safety, based
> on internationally recognized science standards."
>
> Trade in younger cows resumed last July because they're thought to be at
> lower risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Now the U.S. Agriculture
> Department is working on a new rule to allow cows older than 30 months of
> age and their beef products, as well as breeding animals.
>
> A fourth cow with BSE was discovered in Canada in January and industry
> observers said that will push back the time line a bit on issuing the rule.
>
> The cow contracted the disease after a 1997 ban was imposed on giving cows
> any feed made from cattle, thought to be the prime way BSE is spread.
>
> "Initially, the thought was that could be done this summer," said Gregg Doud
> at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
>
> "That's clearly slipped some but by how much we don't know."
>
> Doud said R-CALF's latest court loss will have no effect on the government
> process.
>
> Cebull is the judge who issued a temporary injuction in March 2005, stalling
> government plans to reopen the border for four months until the appeals
> court overturned the order.
>
> He said he found the U.S. government's decision "arbitrary and capricious."
>
> The cattle trade has now reached about 80 per cent of what it was before the
> border closed.
>
> R-CALF is angry the United States is importing so many Canadian cows, while
> U.S. export markets have been devastated by its own BSE cases.
>
> "Export markets have largely remained closed for more than two years, while
> imports of live Canadian cattle and beef continue to increase," said Kiker.
>
> "This is depressing U.S. prices because many U.S. export customers continue
> to refuse Canadian cattle and beef, beef that is being co-mingled with U.S.
> beef but not marketed as such."
> (c) The Canadian Press 2006
>
That remark about export markets not wanting co-mingled meat from US and Canada is BS. Heck we ship to Japan. Bet they don't want US meat co-mingled with Canadian.
> Beth Gorham
> Canadian Press
> Friday, April 07, 2006
>
> WASHINGTON -- A U.S. ranchers' group said Thursday it's not giving up its
> fight to stop some Canadian cattle from crossing the border, despite losing
> its bid this week for a total ban.
>
> R-CALF United Stockgrowers will now target U.S. government plans to resume
> trade in older cows and beef products, said the group which has long argued
> imports are unsafe because of Canada's mad cow cases.
>
> Montana District Judge Richard Cebull has denied R-CALF's request for a
> hearing on a permanent injunction, saying his "hands are tied" by a previous
> appeals court ruling that found officials had a firm basis for reopening the
> border.
>
> "R-CALF is deeply disapointed with the outcome," said president Chuck Kiker.
>
> "This is a loss for every single cattle producer in the United States."
>
> The group is asking members to vote by mail-in ballots to take "appropriate
> action" against the U.S. government. Its legal challenges prolonged a crisis
> for Canadian cattlemen that hit when Canada's first mad cow case was
> discovered in May 2003.
>
> A number of options will be considered, said Kiker.
>
> In Canada, Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl welcomed Cebull's decision,
> calling it a "great development."
>
> "Canada and the U.S. continue to have the same risk status," he said.
>
> "Both our countries have adopted extensive complementary and parallel
> measures to protect human and animal health, as well as food safety, based
> on internationally recognized science standards."
>
> Trade in younger cows resumed last July because they're thought to be at
> lower risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Now the U.S. Agriculture
> Department is working on a new rule to allow cows older than 30 months of
> age and their beef products, as well as breeding animals.
>
> A fourth cow with BSE was discovered in Canada in January and industry
> observers said that will push back the time line a bit on issuing the rule.
>
> The cow contracted the disease after a 1997 ban was imposed on giving cows
> any feed made from cattle, thought to be the prime way BSE is spread.
>
> "Initially, the thought was that could be done this summer," said Gregg Doud
> at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
>
> "That's clearly slipped some but by how much we don't know."
>
> Doud said R-CALF's latest court loss will have no effect on the government
> process.
>
> Cebull is the judge who issued a temporary injuction in March 2005, stalling
> government plans to reopen the border for four months until the appeals
> court overturned the order.
>
> He said he found the U.S. government's decision "arbitrary and capricious."
>
> The cattle trade has now reached about 80 per cent of what it was before the
> border closed.
>
> R-CALF is angry the United States is importing so many Canadian cows, while
> U.S. export markets have been devastated by its own BSE cases.
>
> "Export markets have largely remained closed for more than two years, while
> imports of live Canadian cattle and beef continue to increase," said Kiker.
>
> "This is depressing U.S. prices because many U.S. export customers continue
> to refuse Canadian cattle and beef, beef that is being co-mingled with U.S.
> beef but not marketed as such."
> (c) The Canadian Press 2006
>
That remark about export markets not wanting co-mingled meat from US and Canada is BS. Heck we ship to Japan. Bet they don't want US meat co-mingled with Canadian.
