Ag secretary pledges increased beef-import support
US Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns told food processors at the Food Safety Summit in Washington, DC, that Canadian cattle ranchers are complying with BSE-related feed bans.
"We cannot destroy trade and expect anything good to come out of it," Johanns told 2,000 executives from companies such as Kraft, Tyson, ConAgra and Pepsi-Cola. "The appeal is based on sound science." He also pledged to rectify "a scientific inconsistency" that allows boxed Canadian beef from animals over 30 months old to enter the US. "This might be a 6-12 month venture," he added.