Arizona Department of Agriculture responds to San Luis port rule

Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Donald Butler and State Veterinarian Richard Willer recently submitted supporting comments on a rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that, if approved, would allow the Arizona cattle crossing at San Luis to handle cattle from certain areas in Mexico not previously allowed. The proposed rule would add San Luis to the list of ports approved to handle cattle from areas in Mexico where cattle fever ticks are present.  Currently, only cattle from Sonora, Mexico cross at this location. Because the same rigid inspection and dipping protocols used at other U.S. ports currently approved to handle such cattle are also in place at the San Luis port, there would be no increased risk to Arizona or U.S. cattle if the change was made. In fact, because the state of Sonora, Mexico has the same rigid controls for tick inspection and treatment (dipping) at its southern border, cattle imported through the San Luis port will be a lower risk to the U.S. cattle industry because the cattle will have passed through two rigid control points preventing any chance of ticks “hitchhiking” on the cattle.

Without increasing the level of risk to the U.S. cattle industry, the proposed rule, if approved, will benefit both U.S. and Mexico cattlemen by reducing transportation costs significantly. Because San Luis has only been approved to handle cattle from Sonora, Mexico, a cattle fever tick free state, but not cattle from cattle fever tick areas in Mexico, cattle from other areas in Mexico have been transported longer distances in order to reach other U.S. ports, such as Santa Teresa, New Mexico near El Paso, Texas.  Many of those same cattle are then transported back west to feedlots in southern California.  In addition to reducing transportation costs, reduction in the distance travelled will reduce costs due to disease and death – and the general well-being of the cattle will be enhanced.  The proposed rule will benefit not only Mexican cattle producers, but also the U.S. producers receiving the cattle.

USDA conducted a risk analysis after concerns were raised when the rule was first proposed in 2005.  The thorough risk analysis concluded that there would be no added risk if the San Luis port was approved to handle cattle from “ticky” states/areas.  After making a few technical corrections to the 2005 proposed rule, USDA re-proposed the rule.  Comments on the proposal were due by March 31, 2008.  Among those that submitted supporting comments were the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Arizona-Mexico Commission, the Cattlemen’s Unions of Sonora and Sinaloa, the New Mexico State Veterinarian, the Greater Yuma Port Authority, the City of Yuma, the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation, the Navajo Nation Veterinary Program, the Western Stockman’s Market and a number of Arizona and California feedlot operators and cattle producers.

Full comments from Director Donald Butler

Full comments from Dr. Richard Willer