Producers get Hot Topics update frm U.S. Cattlemen's Assoc.

Washington Ag February 10, 2009 Cattle producers attending last week’s Pacific Northwest Farm Forum in Spokane got a rundown on the hot topics the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association is addressing in Washington D.C. this year. USCA Executive Vice President Jess Peterson, a Gonzaga alumnus by the way, detailed the federal issues and then summed them up in an interview. Peterson: “First off we have to get this proposed regulation with Argentina shut down. They are allowing potential foot and mouth disease from Argentina. We have a bill introduced in the Senate. We are going to get one introduced in the House. President Obama knows this has to go away. U.S. Cattlemen‘s is going to make sure it goes away. The other issue we are working on is we have to get COOL done right. COOL needs to have product of the U.S. And a product of the U.S. or Canada, consumers need to be able to differentiate. We had a little hiccup in that final rule. We are going to make sure that is taken care of. And while you have COOL, while your consumers can go the aisle and pick their country to buy their beef from we would like to get out there and start marketing U.S. beef and utilizing our check off to promote U.S. beef. So those are some big issues.� Another big issue is legislation Peterson says is being drafted in the U.S. House to make animal ID mandatory. Peterson: “And we have got to address that. We have to shut it down. U.S. Cattlemen‘s is vehemently opposed to allowing that legislation move through. We will probably stop it in the House. If not we will kill it in the Senate.� Also on the USCA agenda, stopping legislation that would prohibit transporting horses to slaughter and making sure climate change legislation doesn’t burden ranchers. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.