Protecting Iowa’s food supply still a concern

Livestock producers across the U-S are relieved after Wednesday’s scare with foot-and-mouth disease. The U-S-D-A says five cattle in Kansas were tested after showing symptoms of the disease and all tested negative. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says guarding against foot-and-mouth disease is a priority.Many Americans are traveling abroad and many foreigners still have easy access to midwestern farms, making Harkin fear our current system to prevent an F-M-D outbreak is lacking.Iowa Congressman Tom Latham will meet this afternoon with F-B-I leaders to discuss agri-terrorism and how the Bureau is working with the U-S-D-A to ensure the safety of our grains and livestock.In 2001, the U-S-D-A investigated and tested some 800 possible F-M-D cases, all of which were negative. The U-S hasn’t had a case of it since 1929.