Barrasso, Enzi, Tester warn of ‘serious effects’ on livestock industry

WASHINGTON – Both of Wyoming’s U.S. Senators are teaming up with Montana Senator Jon Tester to send a stern warning to the U.S. Department of Agriculture: relaxing restrictions on beef and lamb from Argentina is still too dangerous for America .

Republican Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso, and five other senators today sent a letter, written by Tester, to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer.  The bipartisan letter expresses concern over a recent proposal by the USDA to allow beef and lamb from certain regions of Argentina, despite Argentina ’s “checkered past with Foot and Mouth Disease.”

The U.S. put restrictions on Argentine meat products after a history of outbreaks of the highly contagious disease.  Now the USDA wants to relax restrictions to allow beef imports from certain regions of Argentina .  The Senators oppose this proposal and asked the USDA to analyze the economic risk of a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in America before making any final decisions.

“We have serious concerns about the implementation of such a plan,” the Senators wrote. “Questions remain about the effectiveness of animal disease controls and tracking in Argentina .  Weaknesses in this system could have serious effects on the American livestock industry.”

The Senators cited a recent study that estimates a Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in Kansas would cost the state of Kansas and its livestock industry nearly $1 billion.  An outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease several years ago cost Great Britain $60 billion.

“The USDA would be taking unnecessary risks if it implements this proposed rule, and put the United States livestock industry and our rural economies in jeopardy,” the Senators wrote.

Foot and Mouth Disease affects mainly cattle, sheep and swine, but it can appear in other animals too.  The virus causes severe blisters in animals’ mouths and on their hooves, leading to weight loss and sometimes death.

Senators Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Pete Domenici, R-N.M., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., joined Tester, Enzi and Barrasso in signing the letter.