The Olympics start tonight. I’m currently in Nashville at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and will admit that I will probably bypass the opportunity to watch the opening ceremonies for a evening at the Grand Ole Opry. Now, I’m well aware that until they have an Olympic event for loading the Kramer bale processor the fastest, or ATV half pipe that I will never be an Olympian. Terrorism has been an ongoing issue of concern with Sochi. We hear time and time again about terroristic threats not only in Sochi but throughout the world. I can guarantee that the introduction of Foot-And-Mouth (FMD) into the United States would make the majority of those terrorism acts look like a walk in the park.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) wants to allow the importation of fresh beef from 14 Brazilian states under certain conditions. Currently due to long standing concerns over FMD only thermally processed beef has been allowed in the States from Brazil.
FMD affects cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hoofed animals. It can be spread by direct contact, aerosol, eating contaminated feeds, clothes, shoes, people, vehicles etc. etc….starting to get the picture?
One infected animal would have a catastrophic impact on the US livestock industry. A small scale example would be to take the 14 county area of southwest Kansas. 1.2 million cattle would have to be destroyed. That’s just the start…what about those truck that carried those cattle, the visitors to those operations, even a UPS truck, or how about the pharmaceutical rep that left from the lot to board a flight to another lot in a different state. That 1.2 number rises fast, and the burn piles become larger and larger.
Brazil has not proved themselves free of FMD long enough to enter the US Market in the form of fresh meat.
ALL beef producers need to comment on this. PLEASE go to www.regulations.gov. Search for (2009-0017) and comment on how devastating this could possibly be to US beef producers! Comments need to be received on or before February 21, 2014.
Hopefully the Sochi Olympics will avoid all catastrophes, and with your input hopefully the US beef industry wiill do the same.
