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| Terror risk lurks on U.S. farms |
| 2005-05-02 |
| Reg Required so posted in full. Hattip the Agonist Tall buildings and outdoor cafes are tempting targets for terrorists. So may be the hamburger in your bun — or the bun itself. America's food supply is vulnerable to attacks that might not be as dramatic as a bomb but could have explosive consequences for the economy and public confidence, scientists and law enforcement officials agree. Many of them will convene this week in Kansas City for the first international symposium on "agroterrorism." They will talk about how easily diseases can be used as weapons against crops or livestock and how best to prevent an outbreak. Farms generally are wide-open places with minimal security. And feedlots concentrate thousands of animals together. That is a perfect opportunity for contagious disease. "It would be a catastrophe if someone happened to drop some foot-and-mouth or something out there," said Terry Handke, whose Atchison County, Kan., feedlot can fatten about 4,000 head of cattle. |
| Posted by:phil_b |
| #4 Luckily we have an expert overseeing the defense of the all important Vidalia Onion Fields. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-05-02 2:24:49 PM |
| #3 Time for subsidized reactive armour on the John Deeres. And loan guarantees for the John Deeres nighttime bunker. USDA built minefields around the stratgic peanuts fields. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-05-02 2:21:06 PM |
| #2 Mechanized harvesting occurs for all but labor-intensive fruits and veggies that are damaged/bruised easily....gotta be 30% max - my guess... We also are importing a lot of food (fruits and veggies) off season from Chile, et al. More to the point, the possibility of E. Coli infection is a bigger worry, and actually does happen.. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-02 11:10:59 AM |
| #1 Migrant workers and illegals from Mexico harvest what % of our crops? More than 50%, I'd guess. Are these workers screened and vettede individually? Doubt it. How long until AQ figures out that their best chance for slaughtering Americans on our home turf comes from infiltrating the waves of illegal immigrants pouring across our open southern border? |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-05-02 11:02:34 AM |