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Illegal Canadian cattle discovered in U.S.
Friday, January 12, 2007 12:18 PM CST
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," Fox said. "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," Fox said. "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 said 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," he said. "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," he added.
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," he said. "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," he said. "The thought of relaxing the import regulations now to allow 'over 30 month' Canadian cattle to be imported is absolutely irresponsible."
Friday, January 12, 2007 12:18 PM CST
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," Fox said. "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," Fox said. "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 said 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," he said. "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," he added.
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," he said. "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," he said. "The thought of relaxing the import regulations now to allow 'over 30 month' Canadian cattle to be imported is absolutely irresponsible."
