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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2008
For more information contact
Margaret Nachtigall
at:
605-342-0429 or margaret.sdsga@midconetwork.com
www.southdakotastockgrowers.org
S.D.
Stockgrowers Speak at R-CALF
Sale
South Dakota Stockgrowers
Association (SDSGA) President Larry Nelson,
Buffalo
,
S.D.
, briefly updated the crowd at the Lemmon Livestock auction market about cattle
industry issues before the R-CALF rollover auction to help finance the OTM suit.
Nelson told sale-goers "In 2003 the
US
had 18% of the world beef market and was the third largest beef exporter
behind
Australia
and
Brazil
. Following the December 2003 discovery of mad cow disease in a
Washington
state dairy cow which was imported from
Canada
, the
US
share of the world beef market plummeted to 3% in 2004. In 2007,
US
beef exports are estimated to be 6% of the world market.” He added, “USDA's
own risk assessment says 19 to 105 new BSE cases could come into the
US
with the importation of over thirty month cattle. Why should we risk
destroying our own
US
consumer's confidence in US born and raised beef by taking a chance that
another BSE infected cow could arrive from
Canada
?”
Paul Huffman
,
Lemmon
,
S.D.
, auction market owner, donated a calf that fetched $5,750 for R-CALF in a
fundraiser auction held on January 9, 2008, in his sale ring.
Nelson said the Stockgrowers
appreciate
Paul Huffman
for hosting the auction and donating the calf. “Lemmon Livestock has always
been a strong supporter of R-CALF and the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.
We enjoy working with them to strengthen the
U.S.
cattle industry.”
Donators from the community were
pleased to see Nelson, along with SDSGA Executive Director
Margaret Nachtigall
,
Rapid City
,
S.D.
, and SDSGA District 6 Director Les Longwood,
Lemmon
,
S.D.
, in attendance at the auction. All remained available for questions and
discussion after the sale.
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