News Releases for January 2005
January 11, 2005
For further information, please Contact the Governor's Office
Hoeven: USDA Needs To Retain Ban After Most Recent Canadian BSE Discovery
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today urged U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and secretary designate Mike Johanns to retain a ban on the importation of Canadian live cattle in light of a new case of bovine spongiform encephelitis (BSE) announced Tuesday in Canada. This third Canadian case, which reportedly involves a cow infected after a ban on feed containing ruminant products, underscores the need for the USDA to proceed with extreme caution, according to Hoeven.
“In light of this most recent discovery, the USDA needs to undertake the most careful evaluation before reopening the border to Canadian cattle, especially considering the fact that this discovery appears to involve a young animal,” Hoeven said. “I encourage the agency to conduct a complete and thorough review of the Canadian feed industry to determine actual compliance with the ban on feed containing ruminant byproducts. This action needs to be undertaken before additional consideration is given to authorizing further livestock imports.”
E-mail comments to the Governor
