Set to take effect on September 30, 2008, mandatory Country of Origin
Labeling (COOL) will require cattlemen in this country to officially
declare the origin of the animals they raise. Officials from USDA have
agreed that a simple affidavit signed by a cattleman will suffice to
meet this requirement.
In an effort to help
cattlemen in Alabama comply with this new regulation, the Alabama
Cattlemen’s Association has worked with producers and auction market
operators to develop an affidavit that cattlemen can use when selling
cattle. This affidavit will be available to all auction markets in the
state and will also be available for download on
www.bamabeef.org.
“I’m glad to see our
association stepping up to serve cattlemen in the state. By providing a
simple affidavit that complies with COOL, the Alabama Cattlemen's
Association is taking the worry off producers so they can focus on
raising safe, nutritious, great tasting beef,” says Orland Britnell, a
commercial cattleman from Russellville and President of the Alabama
Cattlemen’s Association.
If a cattleman sells
cattle at multiple auction markets, each one of those markets will need
a Country of Origin Affidavit on file with the producer’s signature.
Cattlemen will only need to fill out this affidavit one time at each
auction market where they sell cattle. Affidavits will be filed and
stored at the auction market.
For more information,
please click on the links below. |