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1. BEEF QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM (‘98)

WHEREAS: Food safety is an important issue with the consumers of our product, and therefore it is important to us as an economic issue; and

WHEREAS: A Beef Quality Assurance program has been initiated in South Dakota.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association does endorse Beef Quality Assurance and encourages its members and all beef producers to participate in the South Dakota Beef Quality Assurance Program.

 2. BRUCELLOSIS

WHEREAS: The number of infected and quarantined cattle herds nationwide is at an all time low; and

WHEREAS: South Dakota has attained Class "A" status in Brucellosis eradication nationwide as a result of no known infected or quarantined cattle herds; and

WHEREAS: Cattle producers in this state are to be commended for their herd animal health programs to eradicate this disease.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association adopt and support the following seven-point program:

1. The use of Strain 19 Brucella vaccine be used for the vaccination of bovine heifer calves between the age of four and twelve months retained for breeding purposes.

2. Officially vaccinated Bovine females shall be allowed to move intrastate on a single negative test for Brucellosis.

3. All Bovine females imported into South Dakota that are NOT officially calfhood vaccinated shall be spayed or "F" branded.

4. Allows for mandatory quarantine and retest of officially vaccinated sexually intact female bovines imported into South Dakota from Class "B" states.

5. Allow test-eligible cattle and buffalo to be imported for breeding purposes from Brucellosis free states or from certified Brucellosis free herds without testing for Brucellosis if the animals are permanently identified as an official calfhood vaccinate.

6. Support the Animal Industry Board’s rules allowing importation of test eligible cattle and buffalo to a registered feedlot within South Dakota without a negative Brucellosis test if the animals are "S" branded and are sold for slaughter directly from the registered feedlot.

7. Oppose a federally mandated check-off program for the purpose of raising funds to support the federal Brucellosis Eradication program.

WHEREAS: The State of South Dakota has been classified as an "A" state under the Uniform Methods and Rules of the United States Department of Agriculture; and

WHEREAS: South Dakota is fast approaching the "Free" status from Brucellosis in its cattle herds; and

WHEREAS: The State of South Dakota’s calfhood vaccination law SDCL 40-7-20 has been an instrumental and effective tool in reaching this goal.

1. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association recommends and encourages the vaccination of bovine heifer calves between the age of four and twelve months which are retained for breeding purposes.

2. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association define an official calfhood vaccinate as a bovine female that was inoculated subcutaneously with an approved Brucella vaccine between the age of four and twelve months by a State or Federal accredited veterinarian using the approved vaccination procedure. The animal must be properly identified as a vaccinate by an official eartag and vaccination tattoo and must be reported on an appropriate certificate to the Animal Industry Board, Pierre, South Dakota.

3. South Dakota Stockgrowers Association resists an attempt by anyone or the legislature to amend the calfhood vaccination and identification requirements as outlined in SDCL 40-7-20.

4. IMPORTING CALVES FROM INFECTED HERDS

WHEREAS: The threat of Brucellosis of calves of infected herds is high.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association requests the Animal Industry Board does not accept calves from infected herds unless spayed or castrated.

WHEREAS: South Dakota has a Livestock Dealers Licensing and Bonding Law; and,

WHEREAS: The South Dakota Animal Industry Board does not have funding to enforce compliance of this law; and

WHEREAS: The current law provides livestock dealers to have a $10,000 bond.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Animal Industry Board be adequately funded to enforce the South Dakota Livestock Dealers Licensing and Bonding Law.

6. SPAYING HEIFERS

WHEREAS: The spaying of heifers is beneficial to producers for economics, health, management and convenience reasons, and

WHEREAS: With the new techniques, spaying is a safe and simple procedure.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association work with other producer groups and the South Dakota Veterinary Medical Exam Board to allow layman to work (or perform this service) under the South Dakota Veterinary Practice Act.

WHEREAS: Tuberculosis (TB) appears to be an increasing threat to the United States cattle industry; and

WHEREAS: Cooperation from Mexican officials on the testing and identification of imported cattle from Mexico has been improved; and

WHEREAS: Tuberculosis can have an adverse impact on the South Dakota cattle industry as well as on a national scale.

1. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association request USDA APHIS to act immediately to insure all cattle imported from Mexico are identified with an official eartag with trackback capabilities, are "M" branded with a hot iron, and tested negative by competent personnel.

2. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association urge and support state regulatory officials to monitor the importation of Mexican cattle into South Dakota and insure that all health regulations are followed.

BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association strongly encourages the United States Department of Agriculture, in preparation for any risk assessment in response to a request to import animals or animal products to the U.S., to first notify cattle industry organizations and state animal health officials including but not limited to: the South Dakota Stockgrowers, R-CALF and the South Dakota state veterinarian.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association strongly encourages the United States Department of Agriculture to request concerns regarding such risk assessment from the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, R-CALF and state animal health officials.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association strongly encourages the United States Department of Agriculture to include industry representation from the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and R-CALF in the development of any such risk assessment decisions.

WHEREAS: Antibiotics and feed additives are necessary for efficient beef production; and

WHEREAS: Excessive regulation and increasingly lower tolerance levels threaten the loss of many of these drugs.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports the ban on sub-therapeutic level feeding of antibiotics in feed for producing animals and promotes the prudent use of antibiotics by following label guidelines and adherence to proper dosages, including the administration and observation of withdrawal times.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports reasonable tolerance levels and common sense regulations based on science that will accommodate the beef industry, as well as provide an affordable, safe, wholesome, high quality product for the consuming public.

BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Board of Directors supports a moratorium on all imports of live cattle, beef, pre-cooked beef and all beef products for a period of three (3) years or until importers can prove the cattle and/or beef are Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, (BSE), (also known as Mad Cow Disease) FREE for the protection of the American consumer.

WHEREAS: Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven hoofed ruminant animals; and
WHEREAS: Foot & Mouth Disease causes severe losses in the production of meat and milk and spreads wildly and rapidly with grave economic as well as physical consequences; and
WHEREAS: If this disease were to reach North America, the economic effect to the livestock industry in South Dakota and the economy of the entire United States would be devastating.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports a three (3) year moratorium on the importation of livestock and livestock by-products from foreign countries affected by Foot & Mouth Disease until such time as risk assessments within the United States Department of Agriculture on Foot & Mouth Disease can be reviewed and re-evaluated.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: If Foot & Mouth Disease does invade North America, the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports Governor William Janklow’s Contingency Plan for South Dakota.

12. LIVESTOCK COMPENSATION (‘01)

WHEREAS: Livestock producers of South Dakota realize the economic impact a disease such as Foot & Mouth or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE – Mad Cow Disease) would have on the livelihood of our farms and ranches.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association recommends that in the event of a disease outbreak, requiring the destruction of livestock in South Dakota, fair compensation for the affected livestock be paid. Fair compensation should be based on a recent representative sample of state, or if necessary, regional auction barn and other reported prices established prior to the disease outbreak in North America.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: This resolution is to be sent to Senator Tom Daschle; Senator Tim Johnson; Congressman John Thune; Governor William Janklow; South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture, Larry Gabriel and various livestock ag commodity groups.

Be it resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association Board of Directors supports the Animal Industry Board's authority over the permitting of non-domestic animals into and within South Dakota.