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Ranchers file appeal in Canada beef import case

HAY MAKER

Well-known member
CHICAGO (Reuters) - In its latest attempt to halt the importation of Canadian beef and cattle, the U.S. rancher group R-CALF USA said on Tuesday it has filed a notice of appeal to a U.S. District Court decision in April that allowed such imports to continue.

"We remain frustrated that there has never been full consideration of the merits of our case," R-CALF President Chuck Kiker said in a statement. "The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in July 2005 that USDA should be given deference in this matter, but there's never been an evaluation of all of the evidence."

R-CALF has argued that Canadian cattle pose a risk of mad cow disease, which is formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), to the U.S. cattle herd.

The U.S. government banned imports of Canadian beef and cattle in May 2003 when Canada had its first domestic case of mad cow disease. The U.S. Agriculture Department issued a Final Rule to reopen the border. However, plans to reopen the border in March 2005 were delayed until July by an R-CALF injunction.

R-CALF sought a permanent injunction to halt the importation of Canadian beef and cattle, but in April 2006 Federal court judge Richard Cebull in Billings, Montana, denied the request. That action granted deference to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture's judgment, which said the imports would not increase the risk of BSE.

"R-CALF wants the opportunity not only to make certain that USDA's decision-making on this Final Rule gets a thorough review because the agency has continued to make inconsistent statements about BSE risks, but also to make certain that we have the chance to lay out scientific evidence by nationally recognized experts and government agencies," Kiker said.

"We are hoping the Ninth Circuit will remand the case back down to Judge Cebull so he can make a decision on the merits of the case," Kiker said.
 

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