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In his first private meeting with Texas agriculture industry groups, newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns received a Lone Star State view on issues ranging from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as "mad cow" disease, to the importance of free trade.
Johanns met in Fort Worth in a round table format, May 13, with officials and members of the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Representing the state's largest farm organization were TFB President Kenneth Dierschke, Vice President Lloyd Arthur, Secretary-Treasurer Ralph Detten, dairyman Darren Turley of Erath County, DeWayne Burns, who raises cattle and is Johnson County FB president, and TFB Executive Director Vernie Glasson.
"We feel Secretary Johanns received a big education about Texas agriculture in a short time," Dierschke said. "He showed a real understanding of the issues, problems and opportunities facing Texas agriculture."
Johanns was particularly adamant about a lawsuit that has delayed the importation of Canadian cattle into the U.S. because of BSE concerns. The border was shut down to most Canadian beef imports when BSE was found in two head of Canadian cattle.
"I think the things that have been done, that have been put into place, have made all the difference in the world. There's just a point there that those who would try to create this impression that there's a problem here are really doing the industry no favors. And you know who I'm talking about," Johanns said, referring to R-CALF, the group that brought the lawsuit to court. "It is not fair to an industry that works very, very hard to develop a quality product, market that product, and produces the safest product ever in the history of mankind, to somehow create a suggestion that there's a problem. That's not fair."
The agriculture secretary said he sees "no risk whatsoever" in doing business with Canada, noting that keeping the border closed will cause the Canadians to build more processing plants, which in the long-term will hurt U.S. beef interests.
"They're really in lock-step with what we're doing here in terms of testing cattle and preventative safeguards," he said.
Johanns also expressed support for the Central America Free Trade Agreement, saying it would be a boon both to Texas and U.S. farmers.
"We're working very hard to get CAFTA to the finish line he said," referring to legislation pending in Congress.
Dierschke said the meeting was beneficial both for the Secretary and Texas farmers and ranchers.
"He got a feel for our concerns in a face-to-face meeting," the TFB president said. "We came out of the meeting feeling like the man heading the Agriculture Department has both compassion for and great understanding of our industry."
