03/23/05 Buy beef now, and buy beef now

It may not be Japan, but the U.S. will take any reopened market it can get. And according to U.S.D.A., effective immediately, Egypt has lifted its ban on U.S. beef and beef products from animals less than thirty months of age. Under the terms of the agreement, Egypt requires age and origin verification under U.S.D.A.'s Agricultural Marketing Service Beef Export Verification program. Meanwhile, speaking of the U.S.'s largest beef customer prior to the 2003 b.s.e. case, although U.S. Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice was very strong in her words to Japan during her recent visit there, the Japanese government still refuses to give a specific time frame when their nation will allow U.S. beef back in. Rice said Japan must yield to sound science in assuring that our beef is safe, as opposed to any remaining fears in leaving the ban in place. But Japanese officials say their scientists are still in the process of determining how to ensure meat safety, a process that they say could take months. The latest preparations for what could be a very dry year in the Northwest were announced in Oregon earlier this week. Governor Ted Kulongoski announced his state's plans to battle potential fires. Kulongoski also discussed plans to manage current drought conditions in several Eastern and Southern Oregon counties. That included emergency declarations for Baker and Klamath Counties, and consideration of a statewide drought emergency, which could be announced as early as next week. Now with today's "Food Forethought", here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: Basically I am passionate about horses. To me the horse symbolizes all that is right about the West. I am not alone, international tourists pay million each year to play cowboy at American dude ranches. Now, thanks to Senator Conrad Burns of Montana, European diners could soon experience a taste of the American West without leaving even home. Our grass fed, free range wild horses happened to be coveted menu items and if passed, the senators revision of the 1971 law protecting wild horses, means that America's wild horses could end up on French plates. Despite an out cry from horse lovers over this revision, the fact remains that too many wild horses spend their lives in large holding pens at the expense of tax payers. I have worked with the BLM gentling wild horses and have witnessed many beautiful, trainable horses, yet there are just as many that will never be adopted. Still, selling an American icon as European menu item doesn't sit well with me, I hope we fully explore other venues like sterilization, or revamped adoption awareness campaigns before we stoop to this. I'm Susan Allen with Food Forethought.