Enzi Urges USDA to Safeguard Beef Supply
Enzi Urges USDA to Safeguard Beef Supply
U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo, is calling on the United States Department of Agriculture to withdraw the final rule to open the border to live cattle from Canada this spring. A third case of mad cow disease was confirmed in Canada today. Enzi expressed his concerns in the following letter to the USDA.
Honorable Ann Veneman
Secretary of Agriculture
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 200A
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Ann:
I write on an issue of impending urgency. I learned today that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced they have detected bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in another cow, the second case in less than a month. In response to this event and other concerns, I request that you withdraw the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) final rule allowing the importation of live cattle and additional beef products from Canada. This is a country where at least four BSE-positive cattle have originated. It is premature to consider opening the border and without your action, the rule will go into effect on March 7, 2005.
Today's announcement reminds us that we do not know the prevalence of BSE in Canada's herd until they have completed their testing program. This fourth case of Canadian origin highlights the importance of withdrawing the rule until Canada has completed its testing. To do otherwise is to open the border to unknown risks.
Reported lax enforcement of the Canadian feed ban increases the likelihood that we will not prevent the introduction of BSE into the U.S. In fact, reports indicate the most recent BSE-positive animal was born after the feed ban was in place in Canada. Without acting to ensure the compliance of the Canadian beef industry with its own feed ban, the USDA's final rule would overturn our historically successful disease prevention policy regarding BSE.
Of utmost importance to me, the rule is premature because consumers do not yet have the ability to distinguish between Canadian and U.S. beef at the grocery counter without the full implementation of country of origin labeling. The border should not be opened until it is mandatory to label Canadian beef in the grocery store.
I am also concerned that we will allow the importation of cattle and additional meat products from a country with known cases of BSE when we have yet to regain the majority of our export markets, specifically Japan. Those markets closed because a BSE-positive animal of Canadian origin was found in the U.S. Going forward with USDA's final rule now may endanger our ability to reopen those markets in the foreseeable future. From the producer perspective, it is imperative that we reopen our export markets before we allow our domestic market to be flooded with Canadian cattle. Many producers in the western U.S. have been suffering from the long-term effects of an extended drought. They are just now beginning to get back on their feet due to higher cattle prices. Some experts claim that the effect of opening the border on the market will be short term, but it won't be a short term effect to the producer who needs to sell his cattle on March 8th.
The border opening must be done in a way that minimizes economic impact to domestic producers. As I am sure you are aware, the concerns with USDA's final rule are numerous. Until these issues are addressed, I request that you withdraw the final rule. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter in the remaining days of your tenure as Secretary.
Sincerely,
Michael B. Enzi
United States Senator
http://enzi.senate.gov/usdabeef.htm