09/12/08 Livestock affidavits for COOL

The US Department of Agriculture has been looking for comments on implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling. One of the comments led to livestock industry developed affidavits to certify country of origin. Undersecretary Bruce Knight says the impact lies with the retailer so that's why they will regulate the grocery store. KNIGHT "But it will eventually ripple back to a producer. Do they have evidence that this animal is of whatever origin is claimed and one of the things that a producer can utilize is an affidavit, something they have written out, signed that says this was of US origin or official ID or any number of those methodologies?" Knight says the industry affidavits are a set that can be used as a template for uniformity within the system. KNIGHT "So that a feedlot buys cattle from 20 different sources they can write one affidavit they send to the packing house with those cattle at slaughter." Burton Eller of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says there will be a six-month period during which the program will be implemented. No fines will be levied during this period which will give the industry an opportunity to get things up and running with no fear of penalty. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott