TimH said:
Oldtimer-"Right now I'm not concerned about which farm it came off of- just tell us what country it was born, raised and slaughtered in...."
......And you verify and prove that HOW???? (remember that just marking the imports is not an option under current law)
Whatever the cost of COOL labelling is, who do you feel should have to pay for it? The producer or the consumer?? This is a simple question that only requires a one word answer, OT!!! :lol:
Easily verified- everything coming in boxed is already labeled- just don't allow the packers and retailers to cut off the markings and relabel with a USDA stamp and pass off as US product when they individually package- everything live is or by USDA proposed rule will be hot branded- segregate and identify-- they did it for the Japanese before, they could surely do it for our own consumers.....Or did the packers lie to the Japanese that it was US beef?
I think the cost will be shouldered by both the consumer and the producer (because the packers and retailers never do), but it will become cost positive to US producers and in the long run when a few more "free" trade agreements are signed and if Canada doesn't come up with 5-10-15 more BSE cases, will be cost positive to producers of both countries- And with everything labeled the cost to the consumer would be much less than "source verified"... Those that want South Dakota grass fed verified beef or Manitoba barley fed verified could still pay the cost of that- but at least the average person would have the choice of Country of origin beef....
If we in the cattle industry don't force the beef industry to do it, I think you will see it done by the courts--- May even come out of the current border suit.... If not, I think the consumer groups will force it thru the courts and what the courts legislate may be much worse and costly than what we would want.... Every article in the paper and story on the radio about the Canadian BSE problems educates many more consumers of the USDA fraudulent labeling practices......
People that were in the Billings courtroom the other day said the Judge outright questioned how this imported meat could be being passed off as a US product- some said that they felt that if they filed another injunction against all Canadian beef the judge would sign it until the US government developed a way to label it, especially after he found out how much was already coming across...... I guess that is a decision R-CALF will now have to make.....
Remember Judge Cebull is a pretty down to earth common judge- not known to be that liberal and if he indicated he felt that way, what will happen if it gets to the 9th Circuit-- the court from the land of fruits and nuts that can go either way and usually goes way overboard either which way they decide-- They may order Canada into being annexed by Mexico....You never know with them.....