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Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills, Field Director for R-CalfUSA and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
And now the NEW VOICE of Farm & Ranch Country, Karina Jones –
Good day everyone in farm and ranch country!
Last week the Senate Finance committee held a hearing that piqued my interest, called “Cattle Supply Chains & Deforestation of the Amazon.” I’m going to start by saying, it was a big disappointment especially after I was so impressed with the House Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this month on small meat processing.
I find it interesting that Washington is holding a hearing on the unacceptable environmental practices that cattle are raised on down in Brazil because cattle producers in the US can’t even protect their own herds from wolves without facing criminal charges. So, if we know these unacceptable practices are happening in Brazil why do we continue to support them with our US dollar???
Senator Ron Wyden, Chairman of the Senate Finance committee, informed us all, “That the Finance committee has broad jurisdiction over international trade and leveling the playing field for our ranchers.” So, it sounds like this is the VERY committee that is responsible for allowing the continued fraud in the grocery store and the lie that is perpetuated to every beef consumer who is denied knowing the country of origin of the beef they are buying.
Instead, Wyden affirmed for me in his opening statement that he really did not understand the cattle industry. As most politicians do when given the microphone, he had to give himself the proverbial pat on the back championing legislation he co-sponsored, “The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act,” claiming that bill would level the playing field for cattle producers. Sometimes I wonder if the air is thinner in DC and that is what leads to these kinds of poor judgement calls because that bill would only hand our fat cattle market over to USDA. The same USDA that allows the Product of USA beef labeling fraud. The same USDA that denies commodity producers transparency of the checkoff programs they are forced to fund. The same USDA that imports beef from places like Brazil, which are guilty of raising cattle under deforestation claims and disease outbreaks. Shall I go on?
Interestingly enough, one of the witnesses that was called to testify was the Global Chief Sustainability Officer for JBS, who coincidentally used to work at none other than that same US Department of Agriculture.
If Congress is so worried about the US beef supply chain and how cattle are being raised in other countries it seems simple, “SHUT THE DOOR!” Why are we wasting tax dollars on holding hearings and searching for legislative answers like a blind man when we can’t control how another country raises their cattle, and HELLO, the country in question is BRAZIL! When did they care what cattle husbandry rules were placed on them? Secondly, the beef purveyor in question, or in this case on the witness stand is JBS. Chopping down a few trees is small potatoes compared to bigger violations they have committed.
If you can’t tell by now, my disappointment was thick after watching this hearing. What a missed opportunity to take a problem that is not even our problem and wash our hands of it. Get rid of them! Or at the very least, put it in the consumers’ hands. Reinstate Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling on beef and let the consumer decide, but that simple solution was never discussed either.
Tune in next week as I will bring you more ag news from our nation’s capital.
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Tune in Fridays on The Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights industry reforms or listen to Ranch Raised with Karina Jones a slice of daily life on the Jones Ranch.
