 June 8, 2007 |
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| USCA Cautions Chairman Peterson About Combining M-COOL with Animal ID | ||
| San Lucas, Calif. (June 7, 2007) ~ On May 24, 2007, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry voted on its markup for the 2007 Farm Bill Title. Contained in that markup was a provision removing the language that prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from combining mandatory country of origin labeling (M-COOL) with a mandatory animal identification program. In a letter sent to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), the United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA) expressed concerns about the Subcommittee's actions and asked the Chairman to oppose any measure that would combine the implementation of M-COOL with a mandatory animal identification program. "Mandatory COOL is an issue that cattle producers support because it provides ranchers with the ability to distinguish their high quality U.S. product from imported beef in the meat case," said USCA COOL Committee Chairperson and Region X Director Danni Beer. "However, mandatory animal ID is a highly controversial issue that is opposed by the majority of U.S. cattle producers. Removing the prohibition contained in the 2002 COOL Title lays the groundwork for these two programs to be combined, a measure that few in the cattle industry support." "We cannot allow COOL to become a vehicle for a mandatory animal ID program," said USCA Animal Health Committee Chairman and Region V Director Chuck Kiker. "USCA members have been actively working with animal health officials to utilize and modernize existing animal identification systems to create a workable animal health traceback program. But USCA is concerned that combining COOL and ID in a Farm Bill debate will hamper these efforts and lead to another delay in the implementation of M-COOL." USCA believes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) needs to utilize the common sense guidelines already contained in the 2002 law when implementing M-COOL. The author of that language, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), allowed for the use of existing systems to relay country of origin information to the final consumer via cost efficient, proven systems that do not burden U.S. cattle producers. Utilizing these existing systems is crucial to creating a beneficial marketing program that differentiates beef born, raised and processed in the U.S. from foreign product allowing consumers to make more informed decisions and giving them greater confidence in the beef that they buy. "The success of COOL is vital to the U.S. cattle industry," said Beer. "USCA hopes that the House Agriculture Committee will oppose efforts to remove this prohibition, and encourages USDA to utilize the common sense guidelines already spelled out in the law to ensure the successful and timely implementation of COOL. There is absolutely no reason to bog down M-COOL with a mandatory animal ID program." |
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