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Several hundred Kansas cattle tested for BSE
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)--Of the more than 37,000 cattle tested to date for bovine spongiform encephalopathy under the nation's expanded surveillance program, only a few hundred have come from the major cattle producing state of Kansas.
Kansas--which ranks second in the nation with 6.65 million cattle on its ranches and feedyards--tested 664 cattle as of Aug. 12, according to the Kansas Animal Health Department. Screening began June 1.
"We are making good progress," said Kansas Animal Health Commissioner George Teagarden. "Ideally, when we have an idea we would like it implemented all at once, but it is not that simple."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's $70 million testing program is designed to screen 220,000 cattle for BSE in its first 12 to 18 months.
Kansas--which tested 150 animals for BSE last year--is supposed to screen 7,000 animals under the extended program. But that figure is likely to be closer to 5,000 because livestock in the state's northern counties will go to Nebraska for testing.
Brian Archer, a veterinarian for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Kansas, said he is optimistic about his agency meeting the target number of BSE tests in Kansas.
"We are doing pretty good," Archer said. "We are pretty happy with the way things are looking so far."
Teagarden is also confident the state will eventually have the results required under the Kansas portion of the national surveillance program.
APHIS reported on its website that it has tested 37,742 since the surveillance program began June 1, with no BSE cases found. Results from two inconclusive tests were later proven negative.
But the agency does not have a state-by-state breakdown, nor does it show the category denoting the source of the tested cattle, said APHIS spokeswoman Andrea McNally.
"We are not breaking it down to that level," she said. "I can't give an indication of where Kansas stands."
Meanwhile, the new BSE testing laboratory at Kansas State University has been ready for at least a month and awaits its first sample.
"We are just waiting for USDA to tell us when we can start the testing," said M. Chengappa, head of diagnostic medicine at Kansas State and interim director for the lab.
Two rooms have been outfitted as BSE labs at Kansas State's veterinary college. Its staff has been trained, and a new technician recently hired for it. The lab's technicians just completed proficiency testing.
BSE testing at the Kansas State lab could begin in as soon as a week, Chengappa said. The lab expects to process 10,000 samples from cattle in Kansas and Missouri under the expanded surveillance program.
While Kansas and the rest of the nation gears up to test high-risk cattle for BSE, the USDA has not budged on its refusal to let Creekstone Farms Premium Beef test for BSE all cattle processed at its Arkansas City slaughter plant.
R-CALF USA, which represents U.S. cattle producers, in July urged the USDA to grant the requests of packers such as Creekstone Farms in Kansas and Gateway Beef in Missouri to voluntarily test for BSE 100 percent of the animals they process.
Such voluntary testing has been opposed by rival industry groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Bill Fielding, chief operating officer at Creekstone Farms, said the company again asked the USDA about three weeks ago for permission to test.
Fielding said he was told that with the surveillance program in place and with progress in the negotiations with Japan people are optimistic the borders would be open within 60 days.
But Fielding said he was not as optimistic--and wants timelines in place so as if the export markets are not open by Oct. 1 or Nov. 1 Creekstone would be allowed to test.
The company processes about 1,000 head of cattle a day at its Arkansas City location, and contends its Japanese customers would buy its products again if it tested all animals slaughtered at the plant.
Date: 8/26/04
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