BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)--At a time when both prices and consumer demand are strong, competing visions within the cattle industry are breeding divisiveness, the president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said April 14.

"In many ways, we've never had it better or been madder about it," Jim McAdams said.

Leaders of the cattle industry group spoke to reporters by phone from Washington, D.C., where they are trying to push some of their top priorities in Congress, including the repeal of the estate tax, an animal identification program and normalized trade with Canada and Japan.

The United States has not allowed live cattle from Canada since a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was discovered there in May 2003. The federal government was set to begin allowing younger cattle into this country in March. But another ranchers' group, R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America, successfully sued to temporarily halt that.

Japan has banned U.S. beef since a cow in Washington state turned up with BSE in December 2003. That cow had come from Canada.

NCBA leaders said it would be reasonable for Japan to set a date for the resumption of U.S. beef exports. They also expressed frustration with the Canadian border issue and the R-CALF lawsuit.

McAdams said the group believes the case was filed for political and economic reasons by an "activist" group with an agenda.

"And we're going to do all we can to make sure that science wins, and not the politics," he said.

Bill Bullard, chief executive officer of R-CALF, said there are varied interests within the industry. He said his group is expressing the viewpoint of live-cattle producers.

"Through R-CALF's actions, the voice of the independent producer has been raised significantly, and as a result, we see an increase in the profitability of live cattle producers," he said in an interview.

NCBA said it also sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns outlining issues it believes must be addressed for the industry to make progress on several fronts.

Date: 4/21/05