For Immediate Release                                                                                                                  October 25, 2003   
For Information:  Burt Rutherford and Ross Wilson at TCFA
                            Chandler Keys at NCBA  (202) 347-0228

  WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES WILL CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE CATTLEMEN  

            "If the sheer diversity of the issues that confront cattlemen doesn't amaze you, then the intensity certainly will."  That's the reaction cattle feeders had to a session during the Texas Cattle Feeders Association Annual Convention in Amarillo this weekend featuring two of the industry's top policy analysts and lobbyists.  

            In a high-energy session that left the more than 500 cattle feeders attending the 2003 TCFA Convention impressed at the wide range of issues that industry organizations deal with daily, Ross Wilson, TCFA vice president, and Chandler Keys, NCBA vice president, jointly analyzed the major issues that NCBA and TCFA are tackling.  Those issues range from world trade to water and from nutrition to taxes, with a lot of politics thrown in for good measure. 

            On the trade front, cattlemen are dealing with contentious issues on both borders.  "The trade issues with Mexico are particularly contentious," said Wilson, who is the TCFA point man on legislative and regulatory issues.  "We're in dialog right now with our government, the Mexican government and the Mexican Cattlemen's Association trying to stave off a safeguard tariff that certain segments of the Mexican cattle industry want to bring against our beef going into Mexico ." 

            With Mexico being the second largest export market for U.S. beef, the stakes are high.  "Some of this has to do with country-of-origin labeling," Wilson said.  With mandatory COOL hanging over the U.S. cattle industry, cattlemen in northern Mexico could see a softening in price for their cattle.  "The northern ranchers in Mexico have traditionally been staunch allies with U.S. cattlemen in beef fights we have with Mexico because they're more integrated with the U.S. beef industry than they are with the Mexican beef industry," Wilson pointed out.  "But if COOL makes their calves cheaper, they'll go south on us." 

            On the Canadian side of the ledger, Keys said the Administration is drafting a proposed rule due out any day to bring live cattle under 30 months of age into the U.S. from Canada .  There will be a comment period of 60 to 90 days, then redrafting the regs.  "So we're looking at some time next year before we begin to see any movement."

            But when that eventually happens, "The question then becomes what do we do with our agreement with the Japanese and the Koreans about shipping only beef that's been slaughtered and processed in the United States ?  We've got to renegotiate that with the Japanese and Koreans.  We're already working on that, starting those discussions right now."

            Closer to home, NCBA and TCFA are jointly working on a number of issues important to cattlemen, including on-farm E. coli interventions.  "We're doing a lot of research on intervention steps right now," Keys said, "and trying to find some bullets that are practical and affordable.  There is no single 'silver bullet,' so we're trying to find several that will work at the feedyard level."

            Keys said NCBA is working closely with the major pharmaceutical companies in actively pursuing a vaccine and with a number of major universities and private feedyards on feed ingredients.  "Clearly, we know the true choke point in E. coli intervention is the packing plant.  But if there are opportunities prior to slaughter to put up another hurdle that will easily and economically fit our production practices, we should explore those opportunities.  And NCBA is." 

            All these have a bearing on animal identification, another major issue cattlemen are dealing with.  "We know government will have a role in animal ID, but there's no reason government should run it," Wilson said.  "NCBA, TCFA and other state cattlemen's associations have taken a leadership role to get ahead of this issue.  We'll have a big role to play in how the ID system is implemented in this country."

            In addition, Wilson and Keys covered many other issues they take on daily.  On the national level, environmental issues remain hot and NCBA and TCFA are staying in steady contact with EPA regarding impending rules.  The beef checkoff has also been in the news and a recent appeals court decision has implications for all cattlemen.  At the state level, Texas school finance and its tax implications are being watched closely.

            "All these issues plus plenty more will continue to keep the beef industry challenged as we head into a new election cycle," Wilson said.  "TCFA and NCBA will not only continue, but will strengthen the partnership we have developed to make sure that cattle feeders' interests are protected."                                                                                             

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