'Fringe' cattle group propelled to ringleader

BILLINGS, Mont. — Two years ago, R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America was a tiny cattlemen's group, written off in some quarters as fringe and radical, focused on what many in the industry considered a nonissue — Canadian beef imports.

But three cases of mad cow disease in Canada have propelled the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund from bit player to ringleader in an ongoing trade dispute that some see as the biggest and most divisive issue to confront the cattle industry in recent memory.

R-CALF, a ranchers' group based at a Billings auction yard, has led the fight to keep Canadian beef and cattle out of this country in the name of protecting consumer health and cattlemen's herds. It's a cause that R-CALF's leaders say has struck a nerve, attracting thousands of new members and giving the group newfound respect.

"The influence we are having is reshaping the direction of the U.S. cattle industry itself," chief executive officer Bill Bullard said.

But some in the industry see R-CALF as protectionist and anti-trade — more of a disruptive force than a major player. Packing interests and even some cattlemen's groups wonder whether the group's argument against fuller trade with Canada has been undercut by the recent discovery of mad cow disease in Texas.

"They're kind of in a box with their argument," said Andy Gottschalk of the agribusiness research company HedgersEdge.com.

Still, some packer and industry groups admit that R-CALF cannot be ignored. "We do not underestimate what the R-CALF people can accomplish," said Stan Eby, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association.

In the past year, R-CALF has scored two major legal victories. The first, in the spring of 2004, kept the federal government from expanding beef trade with Canada.

The second, in March, delayed the resumption of limited cattle shipments just days before the U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to let cattle trucks back into the country for the first time since May 2003, when Canada reported its first case of mad cow disease.

But the ranchers' group was dealt a blow recently when a federal appeals court ruled that Canadian cattle could again be imported to the United States. The first new cattle shipment from Canada to the United States since 2003 occurred last week.

Mark Dopp, senior vice president for regulatory affairs and general counsel with the American Meat Institute, a meatpackers' group, said the discovery of mad cow disease in a U.S.-born cow in Texas makes R-CALF's argument for continuing to keep out Canadian cattle shaky, at best.