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TSCRA Daily News Update, May 21, 2008
Texas Cattle Raisers celebrate border crossing LAREDO, Texas, May 21, 2008 —"Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is pleased to join the celebration with the Texas Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Texas breeding cattle cross into Mexico for the first time since 2003. This is indeed a historic day for the Texas cattle industry and culminates over four years of hard work by everyone involved with reopening this border. We all have reason to celebrate," commented TSCRA President Jon Means of Van Horn at the event. The Mexican border was closed to export of live cattle in December of 2003 when a single Canadian-born cow in the state of Washingtonwas confirmed to have Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. TSCRA, TDA, and USDA have been directly involved in reopening the border since then. Efforts were increased when Canada was designated as a "minimal risk" country under World Trade Organization standards in November of 2007. "Mexican officials kept telling us that as long as we prevented Canadian live cattle from coming into the United States, they would not allow U.S.cattle to come into Mexico," said Means. The U.S.trade normalization with Canadagave the industry the green light to push forward with Mexico for trade normalization. During March of this year, Canada worked out a live cattle trade agreement with Mexicowithout involvement of the United States, which was a violation of the World Trade Organization trade protocol. In reaction to this, TDA Commissioner Todd Staples locked the gates of the TDA pens along the Texas-Mexico border to Canadian cattle. "It wasn't until TDA Commissioner Todd Staples locked the gates did Mexico take us seriously," explained Dave Scott, TSCRA first vice president of Richmond, who was on hand for the event. "We applaud Commissioner Staples for his bold and decisive action which resulted in the reopening of the border," added Scott, "and we recognize the persistent and diligent efforts of USDA and the office of the Special Trade Representative in this achievement." Live cattle trade with Mexico is worth more than $86 million in annual U.S.sales, with a total economic impact in excess of $400 million, notes TDA. "The Mexican live cattle market is an important market for Texas seedstock producers," said Eldon White, TSCRA executive vice president. "This is especially the case as cattle raisers feel the pinch from high costs of feed, fertilizer and fuel," concluded White.
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