Wow!! My free market pride was a little deflated by reading this. Here we have a potential great story about a market stepping in and fixing a potential problem on its own. We then see the past president come in and undermine its credibility.
Concerns of open Japanese beef markets are a great incentive to American producers to provide their own system and regulations that ensure Japanese and other markets concerns are alleviated so trade can occur.
I will bet you the market system is designed to meet the needs of their members and works pretty well so I am rather perplexed on this one.
Pork producers past president favors mandatory ID
Monday, March 10, 2008
by Tom Steever
Joy Philippi has no argument with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson’s prediction of a mandatory animal ID system.“I think Chairman Peterson’s comments definitely recognize the fact that many of us have always believed that mandatory’s the way to go,”
Philippi told Brownfield during the Pork Industry Forum Saturday.A Past National Pork Producers Council president, Philippi says 65 percent to 68 percent of pork producers have registered their premises voluntarily.
She says others register their premises when they’re told that it helps protect the nation’s hog herd.“But there’s always that thing in the back of your mind, ‘do I want the government or do I want others to know where I am and what I do,’” says Philippi, “and it’s been our role to talk to our producers and say look, this is something that we have to have.”Philippi says related issues, such as food safety, have helped convinced pork producers that their premises should be registered.
She predicts that 100 percent of the nation’s pork premises will have been registered within a year.
Collin Peterson
