Commissioner Farmer blasts FDA over new rule that will harm American animal agriculture.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

For more information contact:
Bill Clary

(502) 564-1137

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer today blasted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for imposing an enhanced animal feed ban rule that will create severe economic and environmental hardship for Kentucky livestock producers, businesses and consumers.

“I am disappointed that the FDA and out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats have made the decision to become enemies of animal agriculture,” Commissioner Farmer said. “The new rule will put many small family farmers, renderers, haulers and associated businesses out of business. I understand that we need to minimize the risk of mad cow disease in the United States. But the risk is already extremely low, the controls that are already in place work very well, and there are better ways to achieve what the FDA wants to do. They simply chose not to listen.

“The FDA’s own announcement said some of the comments they received talked about a heightened risk of mad cow disease from imports of live cattle from Canada. Doesn’t it make more sense to restrict imports from countries with a higher risk of mad cow disease than to destroy American animal agriculture?”

The FDA today announced that an enhanced feed ban rule will take effect on Monday. The agency set a compliance date of Oct. 26 to allow renderers additional time to comply with the rule.

Officials and livestock industry leaders fear the new rule could make it difficult, if not impossible, for many producers to dispose of carcasses properly. Means of disposal other than rendering, such as composting, incineration and digesting, are expensive and impractical. The state no longer is able to provide grants to counties for dead animal removal because of lack of funding.

“The FDA doesn’t have the resources to efficiently or effectively enforce this rule. They can’t keep up with the responsibilities they already have,” Commissioner Farmer said. “Producers can’t afford the additional costs the final rule will impose on them. The state doesn’t have the resources to dispose of tens of millions of pounds of animal carcasses. The FDA simply did not give enough consideration to the unintended consequences of the new rule.

“Washington succeeded in killing the tobacco quota program, and now they’re going after animal agriculture,” Commissioner Farmer continued. “The FDA threw out sound science and common sense when it made this rule.”

Commissioner Farmer said he is continuing to work with Kentucky’s congressional delegation to find a solution that will protect Kentucky’s livestock industry while also protecting consumers and the environment.

“This isn’t over,” Commissioner Farmer said.

The final rule prohibits the use of certain cattle-derived materials from being used in any animal feed. The cattle materials prohibited in animal feed (CMPAF) include the brains and spinal cords of cattle 30 months old and older; the entire carcass of cattle 30 months old and older not inspected and passed for human consumption from which the brains and spinal cords were not removed; the entire carcass of cattle that test positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE); and other materials.