Washington beef producers support more authority for livestock inspection

Washington Ag Today January 21, 2010 A bill in this year’s legislative session would give the Washington state veterinarian more authority to deal with a situation like that which occurred last year when imported Canadian cattle didn’t go where they were supposed to. Over 400 head of Canadian cattle that were supposed to go to a Washington feedlot instead went out on rangeland. They were not tested for TB which they should have been for that destination.

Wade King, President of the Cattle Producers of Washington, told a legislative hearing Wednesday that USDA border inspections are insufficient.

King: “This would give the WSDA the authority after they left that border area. Currently they do not have the authority until they reach a point of destination is what we have been told. And sometimes they don‘t know if those cattle reach their point of destination. There is no verification process right now on these cattle if they reach their destination and if they meet our state‘s animal health requirements.”

The Cattle Producers of Washington, the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, the Washington Cattle Feeders Association and state veterinarian Dr. Leonard Eldridge all testified in favor of Senate Bill 6299 at a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting.

Senate Bill 6299 would also eliminate self-inspection of private cattle transactions. Those were not required to be reported thus making tracing in the event of disease difficult.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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