shminifancier
Well-Known Member
H.R.503
Title: To amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, and for other purposes Anti-Slaughter Campaign Scores a Win in Congress
Posted on Thursday, June 09 @ 12:09:35 CDT
Topic: Industry News
On June 8, 2005, the 109th Congress voted 269 to 158 in favor of an amendment to Bill H.R . 2744 that prohibits the use of funds in the bill to pay salaries and expenses of personnel to inspect horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or under the guidelines issued under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Sweeney of NY, was introduced to stop the inspection of horses at US slaughter plants in Texas and Illinois. Without USDA inspection, plants cannot export horse meat for human consumption. The bill and all its amendments must still gain approval from the Senate and will not take effect until the 2006 budget. It will only apply to the year 2006 and, unless anti-slaughter advocates are successful with moving forward Bill 503, which is designed to ban the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption entirely, the funding can be reinstated in the 2007 funding allocations.
Though the full impact of the withdrawal of the USDA inspection services is still uncertain, this could work for or against the anti-slaughter movement.
Currently seen as a huge victory by animal rights activists, suspension of equine slaughter in the US without suspension of the export to Canada and Mexico could have a devastating impact on the equine industry in all three countries.
The US exported 30,000 horses for slaughter to Canada last year and processed 65,000 more at the IL and TX plants. The possibility of a flood of horses for slaughter into Canada is very possible, though given our own slaughter facility production limitations, they can basically only take so many more. If the funding restriction does effect the export of horses, which its wording does not appear to cover, I huge supply and demand shift would be experienced in Canada with the elimination of the 30,000 imported horses. Although that is what many have thought this amendment would do, live horses exported to Canada do not require actual USDA inspection, only USDA endorsement of export certification. Enforcement of any export restrictions for horses bound for slaughter is nearly impossible and even if imposed would be easy to get around for the big companies involved.
As with all other big events that effect the prices of horses, buyers will be anticipating further drops in already low prices and sellers are going to feel the crunch well before the 2006 Bill is implemented.
Please note the 2nd to last and last paragraphs..." The possibility of a flood of horses for slaughter into Canada is very possible, though given our own slaughter facility production limitations, they can basically only take so many more. If the funding restriction does effect the export of horses, which its wording does not appear to cover, I huge supply and demand shift would be experienced in Canada with the elimination of the 30,000 imported horses. Although that is what many have thought this amendment would do, live horses exported to Canada do not require actual USDA inspection, only USDA endorsement of export certification. Enforcement of any export restrictions for horses bound for slaughter is nearly impossible and even if imposed would be easy to get around for the big companies involved."
Live horses exported to Canada DO NOT REQUIRE ACTUAL USDA INSPECTION. Gee....and this from a company that makes its living giving truckers and horse haulers advice on the border crossing requirements on the shipment of horses INTO Canada - both bound for slaughter and bound for other areas. Read the last sentence: "Enforcement of any export restrictions for horses bound for slaughter is nearly impossible and even IF imposed would be VERY easy to get around for the big companies involved."
Anti slaughter side - NICE JOB - NOT!! [/b]
Title: To amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, and for other purposes Anti-Slaughter Campaign Scores a Win in Congress
Posted on Thursday, June 09 @ 12:09:35 CDT
Topic: Industry News
On June 8, 2005, the 109th Congress voted 269 to 158 in favor of an amendment to Bill H.R . 2744 that prohibits the use of funds in the bill to pay salaries and expenses of personnel to inspect horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or under the guidelines issued under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Sweeney of NY, was introduced to stop the inspection of horses at US slaughter plants in Texas and Illinois. Without USDA inspection, plants cannot export horse meat for human consumption. The bill and all its amendments must still gain approval from the Senate and will not take effect until the 2006 budget. It will only apply to the year 2006 and, unless anti-slaughter advocates are successful with moving forward Bill 503, which is designed to ban the slaughter and export of horses for human consumption entirely, the funding can be reinstated in the 2007 funding allocations.
Though the full impact of the withdrawal of the USDA inspection services is still uncertain, this could work for or against the anti-slaughter movement.
Currently seen as a huge victory by animal rights activists, suspension of equine slaughter in the US without suspension of the export to Canada and Mexico could have a devastating impact on the equine industry in all three countries.
The US exported 30,000 horses for slaughter to Canada last year and processed 65,000 more at the IL and TX plants. The possibility of a flood of horses for slaughter into Canada is very possible, though given our own slaughter facility production limitations, they can basically only take so many more. If the funding restriction does effect the export of horses, which its wording does not appear to cover, I huge supply and demand shift would be experienced in Canada with the elimination of the 30,000 imported horses. Although that is what many have thought this amendment would do, live horses exported to Canada do not require actual USDA inspection, only USDA endorsement of export certification. Enforcement of any export restrictions for horses bound for slaughter is nearly impossible and even if imposed would be easy to get around for the big companies involved.
As with all other big events that effect the prices of horses, buyers will be anticipating further drops in already low prices and sellers are going to feel the crunch well before the 2006 Bill is implemented.
Please note the 2nd to last and last paragraphs..." The possibility of a flood of horses for slaughter into Canada is very possible, though given our own slaughter facility production limitations, they can basically only take so many more. If the funding restriction does effect the export of horses, which its wording does not appear to cover, I huge supply and demand shift would be experienced in Canada with the elimination of the 30,000 imported horses. Although that is what many have thought this amendment would do, live horses exported to Canada do not require actual USDA inspection, only USDA endorsement of export certification. Enforcement of any export restrictions for horses bound for slaughter is nearly impossible and even if imposed would be easy to get around for the big companies involved."
Live horses exported to Canada DO NOT REQUIRE ACTUAL USDA INSPECTION. Gee....and this from a company that makes its living giving truckers and horse haulers advice on the border crossing requirements on the shipment of horses INTO Canada - both bound for slaughter and bound for other areas. Read the last sentence: "Enforcement of any export restrictions for horses bound for slaughter is nearly impossible and even IF imposed would be VERY easy to get around for the big companies involved."
Anti slaughter side - NICE JOB - NOT!! [/b]
