04/13/05 Trying to reopen Japan to US beef

The Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns is being pressured to get US beef into Japan. That market has been closed since BSE case in Washington State. Now some congressmen are calling for trade sanctions after the Japanese. JOHANNS "The problem is that for every action there's a counter action and that just gets you in a situation where you're facing some very difficult consequences on both sides." For Eden feedlot operator Cevin Jones less talk and more action would help. JONES "Our plants out here were more dependent on exports overseas." For Jones these are very uncertain times. The longer that markets are disrupted the greater chance there is that packing plants could move or be closed down. JONES "If we don't have the packing plants out here we're going to be hard pressed to keep the feeding industry around in the Northwest. I don't want to necessarily go out and buy a bunch of feeder cattle and then have the plant close and have to ship them someplace at a huge loss but yet they need the supplies." One positive note, USDA announced that Taiwan will again allow the import of US boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age beginning this Saturday. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott