May 17, 2005 — Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to host a roundtable discussion regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
In an effort to present what Johanns called the “cold, hard facts about the beef industry,” the roundtable is scheduled to take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. June 9 at the Andrew Boss Laboratory on the University of Minnesota campus in Saint Paul.
Johanns said anticipated topics of the roundtable, titled “The Safety of North American Beef and the Economic Effect of BSE on the U.S. Beef Industry,” include the current science behind the safety of the U.S. beef supply, the economic effects on the market and jobs, and the industry’s shifting infrastructure. Data illustrating the success of the agency’s enhanced BSE surveillance program will also be part of the discussion.
USDA is inviting various industry representatives — from USDA experts to producers, packers and academia — to participate in the discussion, which is open to the public.
During the announcement, Johanns stated his concern regarding the long-term effects of continued interruption in beef and cattle imports from Canada. He said due to a restrictive U.S. supply, small-scale processors and cow-calf producers will suffer from forced U.S. plant closures and a rapidly expanding processing capacity currently developing in Canada.
Johanns stated that the USDA plans to do everything it can to shed light on this difficult — and divisive — industry situation.
— by Crystal Albers, Angus Productions Inc. assistant editor
