Argentina

<a href="http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=188159">U.S. Cattlemen To Congress: Fix <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>’s Argentina Mess</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote><acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym> (Jan. 7, 2008) – Exactly one year ago this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (<acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>) issued a little-known and little-publicized proposal to import beef from Argentina, despite that country’s repeated problems with foot and mouth disease (FMD).<br />n <br />nThe U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (<acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym>) has made blocking <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>’s action one of its top priorities in 2008.<br />n <br />n"FMD is the most contagious and deadly disease facing America’s ranchers today. An outbreak in the United States would devastate the industry virtually overnight," said Doug Zalesky, <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>’s International Trade Committee co-chairman. "It’s a mystery why our government would even consider importing that kind of trouble into America."<br />n <br />nUnder the <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> proposal, beef and cattle imports would be allowed from areas of Argentina that are considered to be FMD free. <acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym> says enforcing such a plan would be impossible and shipments containing FMD would likely slip through the cracks.<br />n <br />n"FMD is an airborne infection; it’s not going to stop at an imaginary border erected by <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>," Zalesky expalined. "<acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym> does not believe that Argentina can be trusted to police itself or keep America’s best interests at heart. After all, this is a nation that intentionally defaults on U.S. loans and routinely attacks the U.S. within the World Trade Organization (WTO)."<br />n <br />nEven after a year of consideration, no final decision has been published by <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> on its proposal, and <acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym> is growing impatient with the agency’s inaction. <br />n <br />nA resolution passed by the <acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym> board of directors requests that Congress "take whatever steps necessary to block the proposed rule and to protect the domestic herd from foot and mouth disease."<br />n <br />n<acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym> is also calling on all U.S. livestock producers to get involved to defeat <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>’s proposal. Other groups are following <acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym>’s lead on the issue. Numerous state cattle organizations have sent letters to Congress and <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> opposing the proposed policy and have passed resolutions against regionalized trade with Argentina.<br />n <br />n"We can defeat <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>’s proposal if we unify in this effort," noted Zalesky. "I encourage all cattle producers to become engaged in the process of protecting the U.S. herd."<br />n <br />nU.S. Cattlemen’s Association Policy on Regionalized Beef Trade with Argentina:<br />n <br />nWhereas:<br />n <br />nFoot and Mouth Disease is considered by the American Veterinary Medical Association to be the most economically devastating of all livestock disease.<br />nWhereas: An outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in the United States could leave independent cattle producers in financial ruins as entire herds would need to be culled and international markets would be closed indefinitely.<br />n <br />nWhereas:<br />n <br />nAPHIS/<acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> has proposed to allow beef and cattle imports from regions of Argentina despite Argentina’s documented Foot and Mouth Disease problems.<br />n <br />nWhereas: <br />n <br />nArgentina cannot be trusted to keep infected beef from entering the United States and has shown little concern for rural America by defaulting on loans made by U.S. companies and by opposing U.S. farmers in international trade cases.<br />n <br />nWhereas:<br />n <br />nThe U.S. Cattlemen’s Association passed a resolution in July opposing the APHIS/<acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> plan because it is unworkable and could create gateways for diseased Brazilian and Argentine beef.<br />n <br />nWhereas: APHIS/<acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> has yet to rule out regionalized beef trade from Argentina despite an outcry of opposition from America’s ranchers.<br />n <br />nNow be it resolved:<br />n <br />nThe U.S. Cattlemen’s Association calls on APHIS/<acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> to immediately reject the pending regionalized beef trade plan and reaffirm its commitment to protect the domestic herd from Foot and Mouth Disease.<br />n <br />nNow be it further resolved:<br />n <br />nThe U.S. Cattlemen’s Association asks the United States Congress to take whatever steps necessary to block the proposed rule and to protect the domestic herd from Foot and Mouth Disease.</blockquote>