At a press briefing during the National Rural Summit in Hillsboro, Missouri late last week - Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack expressed hope that the resignation of Japan’s Prime Minister wouldn’t impact pending talks with Washington on more market access for U.S. beef...
“Well the change of Prime Minister doesn’t necessarily mean that the ruling and the ruling government changes, it just means that the individual changes and the head of government changes. And my hope is that it won’t necessarily result in a significant change in the ministries and cabinet officials that they have placed in positions of authority and power. My impression of minister Akamaktu is that he’s someone who’s well respected, and is someone who is, I hope someone who will be able to continue in his particular position.
Obviously they are now dealing with Foot & Mouth Disease which has caught his attention, as well it should we are still committed to exchanging ideas and begin the process to work through the very complex circumstances that we have to navigate to get that beef market open in a very meaningful way.”
Vilsack also commented on USDA’s concerns over the impact of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s governance proposal on the beef checkoff...
“We’re still continuing to monitor this situation and make sure that the concerns that were raised by other farm groups, about how this is all going to be set up, that the carry-through and implementation is what it’s been represented to be. Obviously we think there does need to be a significant wall between policy and budget. I think those who are engaged in Checkoff and those who pay the Checkoff, those that are involved in farming and who are going to benefit from Checkoff are concerned that that wall is going to be very, very strong. And, we’ll continue to monitor that situation.”
On the Office of Inspector General investigation of the national soybean checkoff - the USDA chief said he hadn’t been briefed on it for quite some time - an indication to him that the investigation is still ongoing.
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