03/20/06 Johanns on beef issues

American Rancher March 20, 2006 The USDA report to address the bone-in veal shipped in error to Japan in January is about complete. Here is what Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told reporters late last week. Johanns: "They really are basically ready. I think we are making a final review of those answers so I think it safe to indicate to you that sometime within the next few days we will be able to submit those answers to Japan." Which is part of the process of trying to get the Japanese to again reopen their market to U.S. beef. Since that shipment error to Japan, Hong Kong has said it received U.S. beef with bone chips in it. But Johanns says he doesn't see a problem for the beef industry. Johanns: "The bones chips as I understand it, they are in any processing. In any part of the world you are going to have some bone chips move through the processing. From what I understand that is what they identified. The plant was indicating they felt that was within tolerances but they were working with Hong Kong so I don't anticipate that is going to be a problem." Meanwhile, regarding the latest case of BSE in the U.S. , the Agriculture Department has dug up the carcass of the Alabama cow that had BSE and says it has confirmed she was over ten years old, meaning she was born before the feed ban. South Korea, which is preparing to reopen its market to U.S., beef wanted assurances regarding the animal's age. I'm Bob Hoff.