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WSGA stresses weaknesses in USDA's proposed OTM ruleThe Wyoming Stock Growers Association has called upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to withdraw its proposed rule regarding Minimal Risk Regions for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy as published in the Federal Register on January 9. WSGA, the trade association for and voice of Wyoming's cattle producers and feeders since 1872, offered its comments on behalf of the association's 1,000-plus members. In its comments the association argued the March 1, 1999 date proposed as the timeline birth date for cattle eligible for import preceded the birth date of three of Canada's announced BSE infected animals, creating a presumption that banned feeds were present at that time. WSGA expressed particular concern with provisions that would lessen current restrictions on the importation of breeding cattle while at the same time weakening the ability to ascertain the presence of these cattle by removal of the requirement that they be marked by a brand on the right hip. While WSGA supports import restrictions based on sound science, they emphasized that--"The determination of the level of compliance with the feed ban in Canada and the time at which such compliance was effectively achieved was arbitrary and scientifically undeterminable." In reviewing potential economic impacts of the proposed rule, WSGA noted that USDA failed to consider potential demand changes that could result from a negative response by countries importing U.S. beef. The association further called upon the secretary of agriculture, prior to opening of the border to either live cattle or beef from animals over 30 months of age, to develop in consultation with the industry an orderly market transition plan. For any questions regarding these comments, please contact Jim Magagna or Kosha Olsen at 307-638-3942. 0 None None Date: 4/5/07
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