R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America

For Immediate Release: Contact John Lockie

December 29, 2003 406-252-2516, johnlockie@r-calfusa.com

R-CALF USA: Day 6: USDA Resolves BSE Cow’s Age Discrepancy

(Billings, MT) On day six of the investigation of the Holstein cow infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), Dr. Ron DeHaven, Chief Veterinarian for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced that the discrepancy regarding the age of the BSE infected cow has been resolved. He said the owner of the infected cow located the cow’s original purchase documents and confirmed that the cow was an older cow, making her 6 to 6 ½ years old, which is consistent with the Canadian records. Dr. DeHaven was careful to point out that a final confirmation cannot be made until the DNA testing is complete.

McDonnell said the USDA is now emphasizing that because the infected cow appears to have been born before the United States and Canada implemented their respective feed bans in 1997, both the United States and Canada bear similar risks to BSE. However, this cow presumably spent the first four years of her life in Canada, and the Canadian feed ban went into effect before she was even one-half-year-old. Because, as USDA officials have stated, the incubation period for BSE is from 3-6 years, she likely contracted the disease within the first three years of her life, meaning she may well have contracted the disease after Canada’s August 1997 feed ban.

R-CALF USA has repeatedly said the primary risk of introducing BSE in the United States is through an import vehicle, either through imported livestock or imported feed. “It is troubling to us that there are those in the U.S. and Canada who appear unwilling to accept that Canada likely has a significant problem, as is now suggested by this second case of BSE in Alberta,” he said. McDonnell added, “USDA should afford the U.S. live cattle industry with the same ‘abundance of caution’ standard it is using to maintain consumer confidence. The USDA should close the borders until this investigation is complete and we know with absolute certainty where the cow came from and how the cow was infected.”

McDonell said that USDA is doing an exceptional job in assuring consumers that the U.S. beef supply is safe. However, he said, more needs to be done to mitigate the profound economic damage occurring to live cattle producers. He also said R-CALF USA has proposed reasonable steps the United States should take to meaningfully mitigate this economic impact including a suspension of all imports of live cattle, beef, and raw and manufactured feed until this investigation is complete. Moreover, R-CALF USA has asked the Commodities Future Trading Commission to maintain the $1.50 daily limit of the futures market until the completion of the investigation. “It is important that USDA inform the industry of the potential for the U.S. to retain its BSE Provincially Free status under the health and safety rules of the World Organization for Animal Health or OIE, which would go a long way toward calming producer and consumer fears,” he said.

Finally, according to McDonnell, this has been a day when political leadership has stepped forward. Today, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) sent a letter to USDA stating he firmly believed the “U.S. border with Canada should be closed to all imports of live cattle, beef and livestock feed and pet food containing ruminant extracts until all of the circumstances regarding this BSE case are known.” Senator Burns also stressed that he strongly supports “an immediate ban on the sale, processing, or rendering, of all downer cattle in the United States.” Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) in a press release today complimented USDA officials on their handling of this case and stated there are other prudent actions that should be taken. Included in his many suggestions were 1) “Suspend the proposed rule on re-opening shipment of live animals from Canada and retract the USDA decision to allow boxed beef into the U.S. from Canada.” 2) Support passage of a thoughtful downed-animal legislation that ensures diseased animals are never allowed into the human food chain.” 4) “Support passage of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) to allow consumers a choice to purchase beef that was born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.

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R-CALF USA, the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America is a national, non-profit cattle association representing cattle producers in the areas of trade and marketing. R-CALF USA has approximately 9,000 individual members in 46 states and 54 affiliated local and state cattle and farm organizations. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or call 406-252-2516.