U.S. officials get to work on rule resuming trade in older Canadian cows
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Agriculture Department will close a public comment period Monday on resuming imports of older Canadian cattle despite pressure from some American ranchers to extend it.But it could still be several months before officials come out with a final rule after considering all the submissions.
"That can take quite a bit of time," said spokeswoman Karen Eggert.
Last month, protectionist group R-CALF USA asked Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns raised concerns about Canada's latest mad cow case.
The Montana-based group said Johanns should wait until all the information is in on the cow before cutting off public submissions.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a news release Tuesday saying its investigation was almost finished.
Source: News1130