PHOENIX, Ariz. – The American government has pledged additional funds to expedite a national livestock identification system and broader BSE surveillance programs.
Secretary of agriculture Ann Veneman said president George W. Bush has asked for $60 million US for BSE related activities in his 2005 budget.
This includes $33 million to accelerate the development of a national identification program, she told the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual meeting here on Jan. 29.
National identification to trace disease has been discussed for several years with limited progress. The secretary announced at the end of 2003 it must go on the fast track to completion.
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“There has been good work done on the standards. What we need now is a system that is flexible enough to take into account many different technologies,” she said.
Veneman also wants a streamlined system rather than separate programs in each state.
“We do not want to put an extra burden on producers so they have to have a multiple system,” she told reporters at a news conference.
Other money in the announcement is shared among inspection and BSE testing services.
The animal and plant health inspection service gets $17 million to increase BSE testing to 40,000 from 20,000 samples per year.
An extra $5 million is earmarked for BSE research and improved testing technologies. The USDA already received $10.5 million in emergency funding to set up further BSE testing in 2004.
The food safety and inspection service receives an extra $4 million for monitoring and ensuring compliance with new regulations for removing specified risk materials and advanced meat recovery in packing plants.
Finally, $1 million is provided for the grain inspection, packers and stockyards administration to dispatch rapid response teams to markets experiencing BSE related complaints regarding contracts or lack of prompt payment.
Veneman said her second priority is restoring American beef sales in Asia and Mexico. The only countries accepting American boneless product are Canada, Poland and the Philippines. She did not mention opening the border to Canadian live animals.
The Americans want Mexico to restore trade in the same way it resumed trade with Canada. The Mexican government said it will not trade until the BSE investigation is over.
“They have not opened their market back up to boneless boxed beef and we think that is a little unfair,” she told reporters following her announcements.
“I think they are stalling in some ways but they are also waiting until the investigation is complete,” she said.
In addition, the Americans are holding meetings with Japanese officials but no headway has been made. Some U.S. beef remains in storage in Japan and there is no solution on how it is to be handled.
Japan is the best U.S. customer by export value, while Mexico is the largest customer by volume.
Veneman said it is vital for the international community to deal with BSE guidelines based on the newest knowledge and sensible approaches to a disease that carries low risk to human health.
Trade should be allowed to continue providing a country meets all precautionary principles, even if there were a few cases diagnosed.
