Groups want better protection against Canadian BSE; WSU diagnostic clinic

Groups want better protection against Canadian BSE; WSU diagnostic clinic

Washington Ag Today March 31, 2010 The Cattle Producers of Washington, along with four county cattlemen associations have joined with R-CALF USA and about seventy other organizations in calling upon the USDA to immediately strengthen protections against Canada’s ongoing problems with BSE or mad cow disease. The formal correspondence to the USDA was prompted by the disclosure this month of Canada’s 18th case of BSE.

The groups indicate they disagree with the USDA’s chief assumption that slaughter controls alone will prevent BSE infections from getting into the U.S. food and feed chains. One quick action called for in the letter is overturning the Over Thirty Month rule.

Also signing on to the letter from Washington were PCC Natural Market and Concerned Citizens for Yakama Reservation.

The Washington Grain Commission recently agreed to provide ten-thousand dollars in funding for a Washington State University Crop Diagnostic Clinic. Steve Van Fleet of Whitman County Extension requested the funding. The clinics will train farmers to accurately diagnose crop production problems. Van Fleet says other states that have conducted such a program have shown a return to growers.

Van Fleet: “Those states have actually showed increased production on that and reduced costs such as for insecticides, for nutrients such as fertilizer. You may not have to fertilize at certain time because you know where to place it.”

Van Fleet says the information at the clinic would apply throughout eastern Washington.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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