Republican governer Mike Johanns, of Nebraska, has been named the new US Secretary of Agriculture. (homepage). Johanns grew up on a dairy farm before studying law, and changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1988.
This item from March 2004 is encouraging:
Gov. Mike Johanns also said partial reopening of the market for U.S. cattle in Mexico is good news for Nebraska cattle producers.He said Mexico is not only this country's second-largest customer for U.S. beef, but also Nebraska's second- largest beef customer.
The USDA announced on Wednesday that the United States and Mexico agreed on a partial resumption of trade. The agreement opens the border for boneless beef from animals less than 30 months of age.
According to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the agreement covers 75 to 80 percent of the total beef products that the United States had been shipping to Mexico.
"This is a glimmer of hope that we are starting to work our way through this in terms of the international marketplace," Johanns said.
He said he has also urged Veneman to reopen the borders with Canada to allow U.S. processors access to live Canadian cattle.
"The news about Mexico is good news, but it doesn't get us to where we want to be. But it is a step in the right direction," he said.
Johanns said the goal is to open up the markets and get beef moving again to this country's foreign customers.
"So far, it has been a situation where it wasn't anywhere near as devastating as Canada," he said. "I don't think it will be in the United States because 90 percent of our beef is consumed here. We have weathered this much better than Canada did. They were just annihilated."