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Beef Buzz News

NCBA Working to Clear Impasse with Russia Over Ractopamine Standard

At the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention there's been a lot of discussion regarding Russia's ban of beef and pork imports from the United States over the issue of ractopamine. Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with Colin Woodall, the vice president of government affairs with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Woodall said that's one of the international issues affecting U.S. producers that they are tracking.


"We've been very disappointed with Russia. If you'll recall, Congress passed Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia back at the end of 2012. We thought that was a great show of our willingness to come to the table and deal with them. Of course, they've also ascended to being a member of the World Trade Organization and as soon as all of that was done, the next thing you know they're turning around and shutting down beef and pork because of our use of ractopamine.   


"There is no science to base their decision on. In fact, we worked with the Codex Commission just last summer, which is the international commission that looks at food safety, and we were able to get a maximum residue level established, an MRL, for the use of ractopamine in beef and pork. That should have been enough to satisfy Russia, but, unfortunately, I think this also transcends just their concerns about ractopamine.


"As part of that permanent normal trade relations vote the U.S. Congress put in some provisions on human rights violations in Russia that did not make the Russians happy. So, I think it's been politicized as far as the beef trade component goes."


Woodall said the NCBA has been working to clear the log jam and get the Russian market reopened.


"Right now, we are working with USTR and the USDA to look at the whole host of options that may be out there under several different trade agreements that we have to fix this. Ultimately, we may have to go to the WTO. We don't want to pull the trigger on that quite yet just because once you do that, you're caught up in that process and it could be five or six years. So we're trying to find something that's on the books now that we can use to get a short-term solution. We don't have yet, but we are looking at that because if we go the WTO route it could be years before we get resolution to this situation."


The situation in Russia is the opposite of what's happening with the Japanese market where they have relaxed their 20-month standard for U.S. beef to 30 months.


"Oh we're really excited about that," Woodall said. "It's something that's been rumored for some time and it was just last week that we finally got the signatures on paper. That means that this is going to go forward. It's great to see some of these last vestiges of BSE from 2003 come down. There's a lot of opportunity left in not only Japan, but also all the other Asian markets as we look at full acceptance of all the OIE provisions on trade under BSE."


The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.



   
   

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