For Immediate Release                                                                     
Dec. 16, 2004

Contact Burt Rutherford

TCFA ANNOUNCES TOP 10 NEWS STORIES FOR 2004

           Cattle feeders began and ended the year with BSE in the headlines, according to Richard McDonald, president & CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA).   Speaking at the annual TCFA year-end news conference in Amarillo , McDonald summarized the year and released the Association's Top 10 news stories for 2004. 

            "There's no doubt that BSE was the top news story for cattlemen in 2004," he said.  "However, it's important to remember that BSE is an animal health issue, not a food safety issue.  Consumers showed they understand that, and showed that they have faith in the government and industry's efforts to deal with the disease, by continuing their record-setting demand for beef." 

            Where the BSE issue affected cattlemen was in the export markets.  Several of the major export markets for U.S. beef remain closed, but progress has been made.  "The U.S. and Japan reached a framework agreement that will eventually reopen the Japanese market to U.S. beef," McDonald said. 

Other top issues for cattle feeders in 2004 included the continued challenge of the beef checkoff and development of a National Animal Identification System, McDonald said.   

Here are the news stories that made headlines this year:

Top 10 News Stories in the Cattle Feeding Industry

1. BSE was the top news story for cattlemen in 2004.  The year began and ended with BSE in the headlines.  

2. The U.S. and Japan reached a framework agreement that will eventually reopen the Japanese market to U.S. beef.  

3. USDA published rules to allow imports of Canadian live cattle.  Trade will likely resume early in 2005.  

4. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging the beef checkoff.  A decision is expected sometime the first half of 2005. 

5. The National Animal Identification System continued to take shape.  Premises registration began in some states in late 2004.   

6. Many areas, fighting drought for years, received ample rain in 2004.  In parts of the country, however, a wet fall and winter began to affect cattle performance.  

7. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling was delayed by Congress, but they failed to adopt voluntary COOL as a replacement. 

8. A U.S. district judge threw out a jury verdict against Tyson Foods in a case that alleged the packer used captive supplies to depress cattle prices.  The case has been appealed. 

9. A NAFTA panel ruled that Mexican tariffs on U.S. beef were illegal, but Mexico hasn't changed the tariffs.   

10. The U.S. beef industry launched pre-harvest E. coli guidelines that identified best management practices for cattlemen to continue efforts in food safety. 

Top 10 News Stories Around TCFA in 2004

1. TCFA worked with federal officials on proposed BSE regulations, asking that interim BSE rules not become final until the results of the enhanced BSE surveillance program are known. 

2. New rules for Texas confined animal feeding operations were adopted and a new general permit was released.  TCFA was heavily involved in the process. 

3. The Texas Court of Appeals upheld the state's right to farm law.  TCFA was instrumental in passing the law in 1981. 

4. TCFA worked to maintain favorable tax treatment for agriculture during a special session of the Texas legislature. 

 5. TCFA's Political Action Committee, Beef-PAC, notched an impressive 94% success rate in the November elections. 

 6. New regulations for the Arkansas River shiner were released.  TCFA participated in a suit to restrict critical habitat designation for the minnow. 

 7. The black-tailed prairie dog was removed from the federal endangered species list.  TCFA was involved in a coalition that worked to develop voluntary management plans. 

 8. TCFA held a feedyard tour for the Congressional Food Safety Caucus to educate elected officials and their staffs on food production and livestock operations. 

 9. The first Bovine Genome Sequencing Project database was released.  TCFA was instrumental in helping generate funding for the project. 

 10. TCFA continues to encourage development and roll-out of new beef products.  In the last six years, 2,100 new beef products were introduced.  New beef products helped contribute to a record $70 billion in consumer expenditures in 2004.  

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