The 7 Canadian Calves

[Mike]

Posted on Thu, Jan. 25, 2007email thisprint this
USDA needs to follow current rules, not new
Before the U.S. Department of Agriculture expands the list of allowable Canadian beef and cattle imports into the United States, it should make sure that it can enforce the current guidelines.

Apparently that hasn't been happening.

Selling Canadian cattle on the open market - including at South Dakota sale barns - is emphatically not allowed by the USDA.

Somehow, however, seven calves were bought by a South Dakota cattleman at a state sale barn, fed, and then subsequently sold to a packer in Nebraska. Jim Rogers, a Washington D.C.-based USDA spokesman, confirmed last week that the USDA is looking into the situation.

Current USDA rules allow the importation of feeder cattle under 30 months of age, but only if they are in sealed trucks transported 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," Rick Fox, president of the Stockgrowers Association, said in a press release.

That wasn't the situation in this case. Fox said the South Dakota producer purchased the cattle assuming that they were U.S. cattle.

The producer bought 90 head of cattle, which apparently included the seven from Canada, over three days in February, fed them for eight months and then sold them to the Nebraska packer in November. The packer discovered a tag that indicated some of the cows were from Canada. The tag was not clearly marked Canadian, but marked "ANGUS" with a small "CA."

Sam Holland, South Dakota state veterinarian, said last week that state veterinarians are concerned about the way the USDA is handling the investigation because the agency hasn't acted transparently or forthrightly in recent years.

So, given this information, the fact thatthe Bush administration said recently that it is seeking to increase cattle and beef imports from Canada is disconcerting - especially considering questions about Canadian safeguards against mad cow disease.

The proposal is to allow imports of beef and cattle from Canadian cattle 30 months and older.

Officials say the federal government's new "looser rules" plan will go through 60 days of public comment - until March 12 - and that all comments will be taken into account before proceeding, possibly in the summer.

To submit a comment by regular mail, the USDA requires an original and three copies to: Docket No. APHIS-2006-0041, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1238.

 

[Bill]

Could you guys at least get on the same page of the R-Klan song book?

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16356

 

[Manitoba_Rancher]

I wasnt real sure what the Canadian Angus RFID tags had on them so I went an looked at some i have here for this years calves.. If this fella bought them at a sale barn he should have visibley seen that they had Canadian ear tags as the lettering on the tag is big enough to see.

 

[TimH]

I wasnt real sure what the Canadian Angus RFID tags had on them so I went an looked at some i have here for this years calves.. If this fella bought them at a sale barn he should have visibley seen that they had Canadian ear tags as the lettering on the tag is big enough to see.

Eartags schmeertags!!!! These cattle were legally required to have a "CAN" hotbrand.

They either had it and someone missed it....or....
they somehow got across the border without it.....or.....
they were American cattle that had CDN eartags.

This whole story stinks like a draft beer and pickled egg fart, and nobody is 'fessing up!!!

 

[cowsense]

Let's see;
Unbranded Canadian calves allegedly sold thru S. Dakota auction ring- r-calf statement
Tags are definately Canadian...................or similar
No co-operation from Canada......nada -verified by OT-expert on Canada
Presumed unsuccessful traceback on feeders stateside (obvious)
Independent feeder backed by independent cattle org. (SDSG) makes claims............read R-calf
Claims made of everything from super prions to FMD possible with Canadian cattle
It's all USDA's fault......... r-calf position
Payment made by Swift to feeder- obvious admin problem... no retraction of claim from R. Fox


I guess you're right Tim H..........something stinks and it's R-calf's keystone kops attempt to discredit Canada in any way during the comment period for Rule 2!!! These clowns have absolutely no base of credibility, integrity or ethics anywhere in their organization!

 

[Kato]

You're right Tim, this whole thing just smells bad.

I bet the closer Rule 2 comes to being implemented, the more scandals will be ...... discovered....... :shock: :shock: :shock: :wink:

Lions and tigers and bears... OH MY!!!!!

 

[Manitoba_Rancher]

I think all of us on this side of the border should be watchin the skys at night for R-calfs lil black helicopters. They will be trying to lift more Canadian cattle south of the border so they can discredit the USDA and try to get Rule #2 Blocked.

 

[HAY MAKER]

I think all of us on this side of the border should be watchin the skys at night for R-calfs lil black helicopters. They will be trying to lift more Canadian cattle south of the border so they can discredit the USDA and try to get Rule #2 Blocked.

Instead of watching for helicopters................you might wanna keep an eye on folks like these.

A Saskatchewan company is fined C$71,000 for illegal cattle-trade activities



January 4, 2006

MeatNews

A Canadian cattle company has been fined a total of C$71,000 for illegally exporting cattle to the United States.

Prairie Livestock Ltd from Saskatchewan pleaded guilty in Provincial Court in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, to two charges of exporting cattle without complying with the livestock importation requirements of the United States. The charges followed a joint investigation that was initiated in March 2003 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and USDA. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for enforcing a variety of legislation, including the Health of Animals Act and its regulations.

 

[cowsense]

Haymaker; Check the date of the investigation; it was prior to May 23/03 when BSE stopped all trade. Back then it was pretty easy to export by anyone but there were and are rules to follow. It's pretty obvious they were promptly caught and dealt with properly. The export rules are carved in stone at present and are supervised by veterinarians and brand inspectors as well as CFIA inspectors. NOTHING moves until every necessary protocol for crossing the border is properly completed!

 

[Bill]

I think all of us on this side of the border should be watchin the skys at night for R-calfs lil black helicopters. They will be trying to lift more Canadian cattle south of the border so they can discredit the USDA and try to get Rule #2 Blocked.

Instead of watching for helicopters................you might wanna keep an eye on folks like these.

A Saskatchewan company is fined C$71,000 for illegal cattle-trade activities



January 4, 2006

MeatNews

A Canadian cattle company has been fined a total of C$71,000 for illegally exporting cattle to the United States.

Prairie Livestock Ltd from Saskatchewan pleaded guilty in Provincial Court in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, to two charges of exporting cattle without complying with the livestock importation requirements of the United States. The charges followed a joint investigation that was initiated in March 2003 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and USDA. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for enforcing a variety of legislation, including the Health of Animals Act and its regulations.

Really reaching huh Haymaker? :roll: :roll:

Did ya notice where USDA and CFIA were working together when they initiated the investigation 4 years ago?

 

[Manitoba_Rancher]

I think all of us on this side of the border should be watchin the skys at night for R-calfs lil black helicopters. They will be trying to lift more Canadian cattle south of the border so they can discredit the USDA and try to get Rule #2 Blocked.

Instead of watching for helicopters................you might wanna keep an eye on folks like these.

A Saskatchewan company is fined C$71,000 for illegal cattle-trade activities



January 4, 2006

MeatNews

A Canadian cattle company has been fined a total of C$71,000 for illegally exporting cattle to the United States.

Prairie Livestock Ltd from Saskatchewan pleaded guilty in Provincial Court in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, to two charges of exporting cattle without complying with the livestock importation requirements of the United States. The charges followed a joint investigation that was initiated in March 2003 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and USDA. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for enforcing a variety of legislation, including the Health of Animals Act and its regulations.

 

[HAY MAKER]

Haymaker; Check the date of the investigation; it was prior to May 23/03 when BSE stopped all trade. Back then it was pretty easy to export by anyone but there were and are rules to follow. It's pretty obvious they were promptly caught and dealt with properly. The export rules are carved in stone at present and are supervised by veterinarians and brand inspectors as well as CFIA inspectors. NOTHING moves until every necessary protocol for crossing the border is properly completed!

I dont doubt that but,there always a few that will try to cheat the system,I would like to see the USDA's final statement on the 7 feeders,if they even issue one...............good luck

 

[101]

We need ALL the facts to come out on this!! I just read were our Dept. of Ag came out to the feeder that fed them and was told he would be paid for them, and that their was a mix up at the Kill Plant and they were not his Fats, The feeder said NO!! He had fed the cattle with the TAGS, This is beginning to SMELL???????????

 

[Kato]

Where did you read it? I'm finding news stories on this subject are hard to find. Could it just be that no one cares? :roll: :wink:

 

[fedup2]

It took me about 10 minutes to find close to 30 stories Kato. Most of them just repeat previous stories. I am not sure which ones you have read so I just included a few from different dates. There is a lot more out there.

Jan 30
http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=74BCD1CC-069D-E438-1DBC39576FF98E7C

Jan 29

http://www.hpj.com/archives/2007/jan07/jan29/IllegalCanadiancattlediscov.cfm


Jan 22

http://www.yankton.net/stories/012207/news_4386012207.shtml

http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=4BDEA378-BC9C-78C7-0AEA491B1775438E


Jan 20

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/16505793.htm?source=rss&channel=aberdeennews_news

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SD_CATTLE_INVESTIGATION_SDOL-?SITE=SDSIO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

[Bill]

http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=74BCD1CC-069D-E438-1DBC39576FF98E7C

Rick Fox from article above.

"The prion, you know, is kind of like Superman - it's indestructible," Fox said. "So if one of these prions come in here, it's here in the United States forever."

Here's a news flash Ricky. THE US HAS BSE Now go sell this to the US consumer

"superman...indestructable prions"

and especially this gem

"IT'S HERE IN THE UNITED STATES FOREVER"

WOW! With spokesmen like this claiming to represent US cattle producers why would anyone be worried about PETA? Just send your money to R-Klan they'll destroy consumer confidence one statement at a time.

 

[Sandhusker]

I guess you're right, Bill. It would be better for him to take your lead and stick his head in the ground and hope it all goes away by itself. What the heck is Rick thinking telling the truth? That will get you nowhere!

 

[Bill]

I guess you're right, Bill. It would be better for him to take your lead and stick his head in the ground and hope it all goes away by itself. What the heck is Rick thinking telling the truth? That will get you nowhere!

Tell the truth?

"The prion, you know, is kind of like Superman - it's indestructible," Fox said. "So if one of these prions come in here, it's here in the United States forever

"So if one of these prions come in here"

What's this IF part Sadhuker. Is that your idea of telling the truth? Last I heard the US got egg on its face trying to HIDE the fact it has BSE now an industry rep is doing the same thing? Go out and tell all your customers all you want about BSE in fact scare the hell out of them if you want but tell them the whole story.


I am starting to believe what my friend once told me about Bankers.

 

[cowsense]

Sadhusker- There is not one word of truth in any of the accusations against Canadian cattle from Fox, SDSG or the r-clan supporters on this subject. Have you been on the defensive supporting R-calf so much that you can't recognize fact! [/b] IT'S PROVEN THAT THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO ILLEGAL CANADIAN CATTLE IN THE STORY so maybe we should start seeing some apologies!

 

[Bill]

Let's bring the whole article over so Sadhusker doesn't have to take such a long break flipping back and forth between the two threads. I hear the girls are getting miffed at continually covering for him.

Cattle dispute continues
USDA: Animals came directly from Canada; S.D. livestock producer disagrees
By Scott Waltman
American News Writer
Canadian cattle at a Swift packing plant in Nebraska were delivered directly from Canada, not by a South Dakota livestock producer, a U.S. Department of Agriculture investigation has determined.

Federal law requires Canadian cattle to be shipped only in sealed trucks to feedlots or slaughterhouses.

However, the South Dakota cattleman involved believes some cattle he bought at livestock auctions in the state came from Canada.

The USDA investigation started after the Swift plant informed Jan Vandyke of Wessington Springs that it was withholding payment for seven head of cattle he sold to the packer in November. Vandyke then contacted the USDA, state ag officials, livestock groups and politicians to see what had happened and how he could be paid for the cattle.

A USDA official said Wednesday that the investigation revealed that the Canadian cattle were never at Vandyke's operation. Instead, the investigation showed the cattle in question were shipped directly to the plant from Manitoba, Canada, as is allowed by law.

The USDA was able to use import documents to determine that the animals entered the United States legally, the ag department spokesman said.

But Vandyke said he's sure the cattle were in his yard. He said he remembers seeing the distinct ear tags. Vandyke said his family members also remember the eartags.

"I have unanswered questions galore," Vandyke said.

He said he gave the USDA an affidavit stating that the cattle in question were definitely in the load he 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," Vandyke said in a press release issued by the South Dakota Stockgrowers.

Proper paperwork: However, Sam Holland, state veterinarian for South Dakota, said the paperwork indicates that tags of the cattle in question were checked at the Canadian border. The proper papers were found at the port of entry, he said Wednesday.

"The paperwork trail that's required for slaughter cattle is pretty irrefutable," Holland added.

Holland, who has been critical of some USDA dealings, said the investigation into the Vandyke situation was thorough and straightforward. While more work could be done on the case, Holland said that it now appears that the proper information has been released.

Vandyke said he's upset with the USDA investigation because he believes its findings are incorrect. He said he bought about 90 head of cattle on three days in February from livestock markets in South Dakota. He fed them until he sold them to Swift in November. He said Swift is getting short-changed because the investigation indicates a mix-up at the Swift plant.

The real question, Vandyke said, is how he unknowingly bought the Canadian cattle at South Dakota livestock auctions.

"I've told the truth" to the USDA investigator, Vandyke said.

The USDA currently allows only cattle that are younger than 30 months old to come into the United States. Those cattle must be shipped in sealed trucks to identified feedlots and are to remain at that feedlot until they are ready to be slaughtered.

Received payment: Since the investigation's determination, Vandyke has been paid the $11,000 that was being withheld when Swift thought his cattle originated in Canada.

Vandyke said he agrees with the South Dakota Stockgrowers and the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, commonly called R-CALF, that the USDA's cattle importation process is faulty.

Both groups are opposed to a plan to open the borders even wider. In a press release, South Dakota Stockgrowers said USDA needs to scrap a plan that would allow Canadian cattle older than 30 months into the United States under certain conditions. Vandyke said he agrees.

"Back in 2003, the U.S. lost our entire export market due to a Canadian-born cow found in Washington state with (mad cow disease)," Rick Fox of Hermosa, president of South Dakota Stockgrowers, said in the press release. "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 become the burden of the U.S. producer who knowingly or unknowingly purchased them."

Holland said that he doesn't fault the Vandykes for believing their cattle had Canadian tags. Such a detail is easy to confuse after the fact, he said. But, he added, South Dakota Stockgrowers prematurely presented as fact the belief that Vandyke bought Canadian cattle in the state.

South Dakota Stockgrowers has requested a copy of the report with investigation details from USDA.

South Dakota Stockgrowers prematurely presented as fact the belief that Vandyke bought Canadian cattle in the state. and Sadhusker .... Oldtimer ....Haymaker .... and the rest of the pom-pommers.