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Collin Peterson says American trade policies partly to blame for poultry restrictions

U.S. trading partners are threatening to restrict more poultry exports if a vaccine is used to treat avian influenza. Congressman Collin Peterson, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, says our own politics are partly to blame.

“This has been a worldwide knee-jerk reaction to any kind of an animal disease outbreak, including Foot-and-Mouth disease.  The problem is that we have treated these other countries the same way.”

He tells Brownfield whenever there has been a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in another country, the U.S. shuts off all imports.

“So that’s part of the problem.  This has been the way that this has been dealt with worldwide for years.  We have to overcome that (the initial reaction of every country).  If we have a disease outbreak, they just shut everything down.”

Peterson says the U.S. is attempting to allow imports even if a country has tested positive for an animal disease.

“For example, we just agreed to bring in beef from Brazil and Argentina in limited areas of the country where they don’t have foot-and-mouth.  Other areas of that country have Foot-and-Mouth.  In the past (the U.S.) has shut the whole country down.”

American beef and cattle groups have come out in opposition of limited trade with Brazil and Argentina, and Peterson says there are internal problems like that in every country.

USDA claims a vaccine has been produced that is 100 percent effective against avian flu in chickens, and are currently testing it on turkeys.