Rep. Vargas Fights To Protect Cattle Industry in Imperial County
WASHINGTON, DC (February 11, 2014) – Today, Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit requesting a hearing to examine the impact of country-of-origin labeling (COOL) on cattle producers in the Western States, especially California. The COOL regulations are directly contributing to a cattle shortage in California.
“The new COOL regulations limit the supply of available cattle for California processors, thereby threatening the cattle industry,” said Rep. Vargas. “The COOL regulations completely disregard the way cattle are raised in California. These regulations place California and many Western States at an unfair disadvantage and will have lasting negative impacts on the region’s economy.”
In late January 2013, National Beef, a nationwide beef processor, announced that it was closing its Brawley, California location. The closure will cause a net loss of 2,340 jobs and eliminate 40 percent of the agriculture labor payroll in Imperial County, California. The closure of National Beef Brawley will take more than $100 million out of the local economy and is estimated to raise the unemployment rate an additional 5 to 6 percent, in a county that already experiences one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
“Cattle processing is an extremely vital component of the region’s agricultural economy,” said Rep. Vargas. “The COOL regulations are severely detrimental and undermine the cattle industry in California, eliminating jobs and ultimately increasing the unemployment rate in my district.”
Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire US/Mexico border. Vargas is currently serving his first term in Congress. He represented the 40th California State Senate District from 2010-2012, the 79th California State Assembly District from 2000 – 2006 and served on the San Diego City Council from 1993 – 2000.