The cattle industry is critical to central Kansas and the beef it produces is safe for consumers.
That was the message Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., told to Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor as they toured Great Bend Feeding Friday afternoon. Moran, who sits on the Senate Ag Appropriations Committee, brought Taylor on a swing through Kansas that also included a visit to the Kansas State University veterinary school to give him an insight into the beef biz.
“I invited Mike Taylor to learn more about the live stock industry,” Moran said. Also on the tour were Bill Flynn, Deputy Director of Science Policy, and Mike Apley, Kansas State Professor of Veterinary Medicine.
The purpose of the visit is learn more about how antibiotics are used in the raising of live stock and how a feed lot operates, and to take this information back to the people in Washington, D.C.
“It is important for me to see this first hand and be able to explain how this all works to the people in D.C.,” Taylor said.
The visit started with the observation of the cattle being treated, a stop at the feed mill to see how the feed products are managed to create the final mixed ration, and a visit to the micro-machine room where the various drugs and micronutrients are added.
“It fascinates me to see how we produce our food from the beginning to the end,” Taylor said. “This is my first time in a feed lot.”
The senator also wanted to show how important the beef industry is important to the people of Kansas. “It is important for the people in D.C. to see how important the beef industry is to Kansas and the people that work in the industry,” Moran said.-