Congressman Salazar Shares Ranchers' Concerns with Secretary Johanns, Ag Committee

Salazar Comments on Opening of Canadian Border

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Salazar (CO-3) today participated in his first hearing of the full House Agriculture Committee, sharing his district’s concerns about the opening of the Canadian border with Secretary Johanns of the United States Department of Agriculture. On his most recent visit to the district, Salazar hosted a town hall meeting for local farmers and ranchers in Southwest Colorado, who expressed their fear that reopening the border to Canadian beef cattle could pose a new threat of mad cow disease in the United States.

“On my visit to Durango, I expected to hear support for opening the border to Canadian beef, but instead the local farmers and ranchers rejected the USDA’s ruling,” said Salazar. “Folks in Colorado are concerned that opening the border will affect our ability to trade with Japan in the future.”

The hearing this afternoon included presentations by R-CALF: the United Stockgrowers of America and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, who noted that opening the border could jeopardize consumer confidence in the safety of beef available in the U.S. market. Three incidences of BSE were found in Canadian cattle soon after the rule was proposed.

“Our food supply is safe, but public perception is that opening the border could devastate our local markets,” said Salazar. “The USDA’s final rule to open the border to Canadian cattle and beef products comes with the risk of altering consumer confidence in our beef.”

The USDA’s final rule to open the border will take affect on Monday, March 7th, 2005.

“I will always stand strong for our producers in Colorado and hope that the USDA takes the concerns of cattlemen and ranchers into consideration before moving ahead with the final rule,” said Salazar.

Salazar has a personal interest in the border opening – his elder brother Leroy runs Salazar Natural Beef, the family’s ranching operation in the San Luis Valley. Salazar himself is a lifelong farmer and rancher, who still farms the land that has been in his family for six generations. He is one of only 28 farmers in Congress and was recently appointed to the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee and the Livestock and Horticulture Subcommittee.