USCA Joins Letter to Secretary Perdue on U.S. Beef
(AUGUST 24) - On Monday, the United States
Cattlemen's Association (USCA) joined eleven other national, regional,
and state groups in a letter to Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that
U.S. meat and meat processors be prioritized within the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
The program supplies food boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables,
dairy products, and meat products to those experiencing financial
hardship due to the ongoing pandemic.
The letter
specifically states: "Due to the current regulatory loophole
which USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
acknowledged allows for imported beef to be labeled 'Product of the
U.S.A.', the undersigned organizations are concerned that the current
regulations governing beef and pork products could allow for the
misspending of federal aid dollars to be spent on imported, foreign
goods. "Therefore,
we ask that USDA prioritize applicants who have demonstrated established
relationships with independent regional meat processors to fill their
order."
Other
organizations signing on to the letter include: American Agri-Women,
American Grassfed Association, Family Farm Action Alliance, Independent
Cattlemen of Nebraska/ICON, Independent Beef Association of North Dakota,
Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas, Kansas Cattlemen’s
Association, Montana Cattlemen’s Association, Rocky Mountain Farmers
Union, Rural & Agriculture Council of America, U.S. Cattlemen’s
Association, and Women Involved in Farm Economics.