Letter to Secretary Mike Johanns,United States Department of Agriculture

Letter

Letter to Secretary Mike Johanns,United States Department of Agricu

March 12, 2007

Secretary Mike Johanns
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC

Dear Secretary Johanns:

As Governor of North Dakota, a major livestock producing state directly bordering Canada, I am extremely concerned about the United States Department of Agriculture plans to proceed with the authorization of importation of Canadian beef from animals over 30 months of age and live Canada animals born after March 1, 1999. Particularly in light of an announcement last month of yet another discovery of a BSE afflicted cow in Canada, consideration of allowing additional beef cattle to enter our country should not be rushed. All proper safety measures must be fully implemented before import approval is granted.

I am very concerned about USDA's effort to characterize the BSE issue as a ‘North American' problem as opposed to its true nature as a Canadian based problem. The proposed rule to allow cattle imports could conceivably impact North Dakota or other border states more directly because of our close proximity to Canada and the likelihood that other exposed animals will be transported to, or at least through our states. North Dakota cattle ranchers recognize the direct threat of reopening the United States border to imports of older cattle from Canada and we urge your administration to proceed with great caution in consideration of allowing their import.

Like the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, I oppose any further expansion of Canadian beef trade until the United States receives assurances from Canada and its other trading partners that, if trade is expanded and a problem is detected in a foreign-born import, that the animal's country-of-origin, not the United States, will suffer any resulting trade sanctions.

Because BSE is not a contagious disease, I want to emphasize that we are not opposed to the USDA's proposed rule because of food safety concerns but rather concerned that the potential import of Canadian afflicted animals would have negative impact on our domestic industry and the agriculture economy.

I support the formal comments submitted by the North Dakota Board of Animal Health and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture emphasizing the list of concerns that our state has regarding the proposed rule regarding importation of beef and live cattle from Canada. I have included their comments for your reference.

I urge careful and reasoned consideration of plans to expand importation of Canadian ruminants into the United States. Until all proper safety measures have been fully implemented, the risk of further negative economic impact on our farms and ranches, is simply too great to consider authorizing importation from a country that has already been the confirmed home to nearly all of the BSE afflicted animals in North America.

Sincerely,

John Hoeven
Governor

Enclosure
Cc: North Dakota Stockman's Association
Dr. Susan Keller, DVM, ND State Veterinarian
Commissioner Roger Johnson, ND Department of Agriculture

Source