Billings, Mont. -
In a joint letter addressed to President Trump and Acting Secretary of
Agriculture
Michael Young, four groups ask for the cancellation of the seven
upcoming meetings scheduled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
to address the agency's plans to expand its Animal Disease Traceability
(ADT) rule. The agency had only announced the
all-day meetings less than 30 days before they were scheduled to begin
in April.
Specifically,
the groups ask that the USDA immediately halt any further action toward
expansion of the existing ADT program, cancel the public meetings
scheduled for
April and May, and extend the comment period to allow a minimum 120
days for producers to provide written comment on the effectiveness of
the existing ADT program.
The
groups raise concerns that the USDA is attempting to expand the ADT so
that it more closely resembles the agency's previously abandoned
National Animal Identification
System (NAIS), stating, "USDA received a clear message from United
States cattle producers that the NAIS program - which this expanded ADT
plan appears to mimic - was not acceptable. We do not see any changes
in the cost-benefit to producers and we do not
see evidence that producers' feelings towards an expanded ADT program
has changed in any way."
The
groups state the agency's meetings were hastily planned, that cattle
producers were not given timely or adequate notice, and because the
meetings are scheduled
during the time of year when many cattle producers are busy calving,
branding, artificial inseminating and moving to summer pastures, many
producers will be unable to attend.
"Requesting
producers to leave their operations for a full day for poorly noticed
and ill-planned meetings right in the middle of the critical spring work
confirms
a severe lack of understanding by USDA of the realities facing United
States livestock producers," the groups added.
The
groups further state the USDA's road tour will be a waste of time and
waste of tax dollars, contrary to the presidential directive that
agencies reduce both their
own expenses and the regulatory burden they impose on U.S. industries.
The groups also express concern that the hastily planned tour is being
conducted even before a new Secretary of Agriculture is confirmed.
The
groups joining the letter include Farmers and Ranchers Freedom
Alliance, R-CALF USA, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, and Western
Organization of Resource
Councils.
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