Jess Peterson talks cattle, farm bill, origins

Information offered with steak

MOSES LAKE - U.S. Cattlemen Association Director of Governmental Affairs Jess Peterson discussed issues Tuesday impacting Washington cattle producers.

The talk, accompanied by a steak dinner in Moses Lake, was sponsored by Cattle Producers of Washington.

Country of origin labeling, the farm bill, and meat imports were the main issues discussed.

"We're here tonight celebrating, and you better be celebrating," Peterson said. "A rare, rare victory. We finally got it - country of origin labeling. Everyone just give yourselves a round of applause."

Peterson said cattle producers fought for 10 years to keep country of origin labeling in a farm bill that was passed.

"You had your state delegation lined up to support it," he said.

He said there were attempts to allow steers from Mexico and Canada to get a label saying the beef was "Born, raised and slaughtered in U.S.," Peterson said. "We were able to knock that down and create three labels, so that's what we're going to see here in September."

Labels will differentiate between beef that is born, raised and slaughtered in the United States, beef that is foreign born, raised and slaughtered, and U.S. product born in another country, Peterson said.

Usual records, such as brand papers and health inspection papers, are sufficient for country of origin labeling, he said. Peterson emphasized identification tags are not mandatory.

"On the flip side, if you're doing some type of source verification, seed stock, whatever individual I.D. system you're in, you can use that," Peterson said. "That is an option. It's strictly voluntary."

Peterson discussed the farm bill vetoed by President George W. Bush.

"I was disappointed in the veto that the president had. I thought this had some good reforms in this farm bill," Peterson said. "This is the first time we've cut direct payments. There was a lot of cuts in there. Granted, there was some spending that the president didn't like. Overall, it was a good farm bill for farmers. From a rancher's perspective, it would have been nice to have more competition reform."

Peterson said the U.S. Cattlemen Association worked to limit the time packers could own cattle and to tighten language in the Packers and Stockyards Act. The changes were stripped, he said.

"Now we just keep working to replace what we didn't get, and that's the next step," Peterson said.

He noted the farm bill had a strong focus on farming, and cattle producers will need to work on stand-alone legislation for competition reform.

In addition to discussing country of origin labeling and the farm bill, Peterson said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to increase meat imports from Argentina, even though the country struggles with hoof and mouth disease.

He said the department argues the country has not had a case of hoof and mouth disease in the southern tier of Argentina. Brazil is nearby, and cattle can be moved across the border, Peterson said.

"Even more so, it's an airborne disease, and U.S.D.A. has proposed an imaginary boundary in the southern tier of Argentina," Peterson said.

He said the cattlemen association has worked to introduce legislation in Congress to discourage the Department of Agriculture from moving forward.

"We are looking forward to having some language introduced possibly next week," he said.