04/12/05 Canadian border dispute impacts feedlot

The Secretary of Agriculture has a message that's all too familiar to cattlemen. JOHANNS "It is not good for the little guy here in the United States, the guy out there with the feed lot, the small processor." Mike Johanns says federal attorneys are trying to convince the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that its safe to reopen the border to Canadian cattle imports. Eden feedlot operator Cevin Jones says short term and long term problems have cropped up because of the closure. JONES "We've already seen the short term effects. That being that we've had a couple of plants here in the Northwest shutdown, halftime shifts and things like that." When Tyson closed its Boise plant for five weeks earlier this year Jones' expenses shot up when he had to send animals to Pasco, Washington, Nebraska or Colorado. JONES "Long term I think we've got a real risk of shifting our packing industry from especially the Northwest to Canada." Jones and others also ask the question, how can the US keep the border closed to Canadian beef at the same time the government is pressing Japan to open its markets to US beef imports. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott