feeder said:
Everyone seem to want to blame the Governments and the packers but if you really look at the whole bse problem as we know it, doesn't it really come back to those that raised the cattle and where they bought their cattle and feed? The cases that are showing up now were pre-feed ban but even then was it the responsibility of the government to look at the science coming out of the UK and EU and tell us to stop feeding this stuff. Was it the government that was buying this feed coming out of infected countries and selling it to the producers or was it the feed sector of the beef industry that was doing it. Was it the Government that was importing these cattle that made it to our feed system no it was the Producers themselves.
The biggest problem is if the USDA impliments what you consider to be the correct precautionary rules like they did with the feed ban in 1997 will the US beef industry follow them. Just look at the past, you blame a government agency but was it the USDA's responsibility to comply with the feed ban once they put in place. But now the FDA another government agency is taking the heat for the non compliance of the feed manufacturing sector of the beef industry and any beef producers that knowingly fed the noncompliant feed. If the SRM rule is not followed should the USDA take the heat or should the slaughter sector of the beef industry take it as they are the ones responsible for carrying out the rules not the USDA. The USDA is taking the heat for the testing but are the US beef producers doing their part by turning over their dead and dieing? I have to laugh when I see producers post they want everything tested but when asked they come right out say they aren't turning over their 4D's until it is manditory to do so. Do you really think if the USDA or the CFIA made it manditory the test samples would start flowing in or would the producers just say we don't keep any cattle long enough to become 4D's . Oh how dumb of me that is the excuse they are useing now isn't it? If the traceback on this positive cow takes a bit longer than it should it will be the USDA that will be taking the heat not the US producers that had M"ID" taken out of the M"COOL" bill because they didn't want to be burdened with the expense won't it? Yes the USDA messed up the testing by not testing with the Western Blot back in November but they are not the only ones making mistakes. The CFIA may have made some mistakes too but the Canadian producers are not without blame either. That is why some of us are doing what we have to to find out how big the problem is by testing our 4D's and are trying to clean it up. The only thing I fear in Canada is we still have those that think hiding the truth is better than facing it and getting on with the clean up.
All I can say is if the consumer believes the word of R-CALF the US beef industry is in for a world of hurt. As how can they for the past two plus years stand on their soapbox hand in hand with the Anti beef groups proclaiming the risk of Canadian beef and not have it come back to bit them in the back side now that BSE has been found in the US.
And I'm sorry Haymaker if you stand too close to a group of people sometimes it is hard to see that you aren't one of the group. :wink: