How are dairy producers being affected by the finding of mad cow disease in the United States?
A. Dec. 23, 2003, has the same impact on dairy producers that 9/11 has had on the rest of us. Economic hardships are taking place in several areas of their business world. Prices for their dairy beef has gone down but should recover over time. They cannot export semen, embryos or live animals to a major portion of the world. Their dairy products are under siege from unwarranted fear and panic. They are under constant questioning regarding their production methods. From these questions and consumer responses, it is clear we have long since turned away from being an agricultural society. Q. How will the ban on “downer” cows impact the dairy industry? A. Downer cow carcasses, prior to this past December, would either enter the human food chain, the animal food chain, or rendering products that may end up as oils, grease, etc. As of this date, none of them can enter the human food chain through federally licensed processing plants. If the rendering industry cannot sustain a market for the
