Agricultural News
Senator Johanns Says Maybe It's Time We Treat the Japanese as They Have Treated US Cattle Producers since 2003
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 6:18:50 CST
Earlier this week in Washington, former USDA Secretary Mike Johanns connected the issue of the safety of US beef to the issue of the safety of Toyota automobiles. Obama Administation Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood was testifiying before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee- and in the Question and Answer period, Johanns raised the parallel of the safety of US beef going into Japan to that of the safety of Toyotas coming from Japan into the United States.
Johanns told LaHood (and the world as we have the YouTube evidence- just click here to take a look for yourself) that there has never been a death in Japan because of the single case of a Canadian cow found with BSE in this country- and yet the Japanese have shut out US beef from their country- and the market remains mostly closed to this day- over six years later. Johanns said that maybe it's time for us to tell the Japanese to allow our beef in- or we will treat Japanese produced Toyotas in the same way.
The observation by Johanns was spotlighted in comments made on Wednesday in Anaheim at the Bayer Crop Science sponsored Ag Issues Forum by Jim Wiesemeyer, Senior Vice President of Informa Economics. Wiesemeyer says the frustration of Senator Johanns with the Japanese over the lack of progress in getting access for US beef widened resonated with many in the room this week- and remains a sticking point that many say should be persued more aggressively by the Obama Administration.
Click on the Listen Bar to hear comments from Jim Wiesemeyer on this Toyota- US Beef Parallel drawn by Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns.
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