South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is pleased to be able to thank Senator Johnson D-SD and Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., along with co-sponsors Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo. for introducing a bill which will protect the US cattle herd from the introduction of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease by imports from Argentina.
Argentina has recently proposed exporting cattle from the Patagonia area of Argentina, although the country itself is not free of FMD. The newly introduced legislation would prevent importation of ruminants and swine, or any fresh, chilled or frozen meat or product of any ruminant swine born, raised or slaughtered in any part of Argentina until the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture certifies to Congress that every region of Argentina is free of FMD without vaccination.
Senator Johnson stated that “Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly contagious and destructive disease, and we cannot risk the health of our livestock herds for questionable imports from Argentina. Farmers and ranchers across South Dakota remain rightly concerned about the USDA’s proposal. The bill introduced today will ensure Argentina is free of the disease before any livestock cross our borders.”
The Senator further stated “I have listened to farmers and ranchers across South Dakota, and the USDA proposal to allow in these imports is flawed. The risk is too high, and the economic impacts of the disease in the United States could cost the economy billions of dollars.”
According to a letter sent to Senator Johnson on July 8, 2008, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association said “We believe that either an entire country is FMD free, or not…there should be no regionalization. We do not support importation of meat or livestock from Argentina until they achieve FMD-free status without vaccination. Even when this is achieved, we do not believe that importation should immediately resume, but that there should be a “waiting period” to ensure that the disease doesn’t reappear unexpectedly.”
Once again Senator Johnson has stepped up to the plate in support of livestock producers in South Dakota and the United States and we thank him.