Statement By Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman Regarding the Resumption of Beef Trade with MexicoMarch 3, 2004
"I am very pleased that today Secretary Javier Usabiaga of Mexico is announcing that he is reopening the border to U.S. beef products.
"We have worked closely with the Mexican officials to inform them of all the actions USDA has taken to further strengthen our food safety and animal health systems since the discovery of a BSE positive animal last December. We have provided to Mexican officials extensive information as requested, and have hosted their technical teams to illustrate that our beef is indeed safe.
"Mexico is our second largest export market for beef and beef products. We are very pleased that today's announcement begins the resumption of this trade.
"I want to thank Secretary Usabiaga for his strong leadership in resuming trade today and hope that his example will be followed by our other trading partners."
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Click to view statement: http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0093.04.html
posted by Dr. Harlan Hughes 3:51 PM[edit]
Crisis to Catastrophe - St. Claude, Manitoba cattle industry meeting
We don't need more debt!
Over 500 cattle producers met at a community hall in St. Claude, Manitoba recently to vent, share ideas, and compare notes, and discuss in small groups after the meeting on how to cope and move forward.
It's not easy for cattle producers to see their equity disappear, feed cattle with money they don't have, and continue to face the uncertainty of not knowing when or even if the border will open.
The most scary part is the attitude towards the Americans. There were suggestions from blocking the border and showing the Americans how much we buy from them, to sending back the cheques from Rosann Wowchuk, instructing her to fast track a processing plant in Manitoba.
Several suggested producers stop pointing fingers and blaming every one else to looking at themselves and for local solutions. Blaine Pederson of Elm Creek says the best thing Manitoba Ag could do is develop a mentoring system for cattle producers fearing the future. Nothing binding, but a place for hurting cattle producers to open their books, get some help, but most importantly gain some confidence back to salvage what they have, and build on that.
Source: A an Internet Newletter From Canada
posted by Dr. Harlan Hughes 7:31 AM[edit]