| |
Although the House of Representatives may have failed to fund country-of-origin labeling (COOL), it is still the law of the land and come September 30 of next year, COOL will be required on all packages of beef sold at retail. Because the USDA has not spelled out its exact requirements, a problem has been created, both for ranchers who sell their calves for future delivery and the stockers and feeders who buy them, since those cattle will probably be coming out of feedlots after the law goes into effect.
Keenly aware of the situation, Western Video Market (WVM) has decided to act now rather than leave their consignors and customers in the lurch. At their August video auction in Cheyenne, Wyoming, WVM officials announced that they are making a service available to forward-thinking ranchers which will allow all calves sold on Western Video for delivery after September of this year
to be certified as born and raised in this country. WVM has made ar "! ????? mplement the program for eligible cattle they will represent on the upcoming Western Video sale September 15th. Shasta Livestock, of Cottonwood, California, feels so strongly about the value of Born & Raised in the USA®, for this sale they have pledged to underwrite all enrollment costs for their consignors on cattle due to be harvested after the USDA deadline.
"This move," according to WVM president Andy Peek, "has been enthusiastically received by stocker operators and feedlot owners." Peek anticip ! is a traceback program developed by Carolyn Carey of Alturas, California. Carolyn has received approval from the USDA for a label and certificates to be signed by ranchers, swearing that their cattle were born and raised in this country. Every time enrolled animals are sold, a certificate changes hands certifying those animals as being Born and Raised in the USA. The certificate follows the animals all the way to the USDA inspector at the packing plant. One certificate can cover hundreds and even thousands of animals and it should be noted that this
is not an individual identification program but a program to help ranchers deal with a confusing situation. There is a 50-cent, one-time charge per animal. The owner can also put an optional tag with a US flag on it in the animal's ear. With all the current hubbub about COOL, those producers who sign up with B&R-USA won't have to worry; their cattle will already be part of a U.S. meat trace-back system, with verification and USDA compliance provided by B&R-USA.
Carolyn Carey began developing the system after sitting in the International Marketing Committee at an NCBA Convention three years ago. Carolyn now holds the trademark to use the term and label Born and Raised in the USA® for all beef, pork, lamb, fish, poultry and wild game.
For more information about enrolling your cattle, contact Western Video Market at (530) 347-3793.
For more information about the Born & Raised in the USA® label contact - info@bornandraisedintheusa.com
Back to Press Releases |
|
