This is Faith Lapidus with the VOA Special English AgricultureReport.

The United States Congress has acted to delay a new requirementto identify food products by the country they came from. Foodsellers would have to tell people where meat and fish were raised,and where fruits and vegetables were grown.

Congress passed the requirement for country-of-origin labelingtwo years ago. The measure was to take effect this September. But aspending bill approved last Thursday included an amendment to delaythe rule until two-thousand-six.

Senator Tom Daschle and other supporters of labeling say theywill try to stop the delay. Mister Daschle, leader of the Democraticminority in the Senate, says the delay would kill the program.

But Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman says country-of-originlabeling is a marketing tool and not a food safety program. She saysthe delay is needed to give Congress more time to consider theeffects of the requirements.

Major processors, producers and sellers oppose the rule. They sayall it would do is increase costs. Some industry groups say theywill organize their own labeling system, but not as a requirement.

Many smaller and independent farmers say people are interested toknow where their food comes from. Supporters of labeling note arecent public opinion study. It found that eighty-two percent ofAmericans would like to see country-of-origin labeling. The NationalFarmers Union and other farm groups, as well as public interestgroups, say they will fight the delay.

Bill Bullard is chief executive officer of a cattle producersgroup called R-Calf USA. USA stands for United Stockgrowers ofAmerica. Mister Bullard tells us that forty-eighty countries alreadyhave such measures. He says labeling is an urgent issue. He saysnothing proves this better than the recent case of mad cow diseasein Washington state. Officials learned that the infected cow hadbeen imported from Canada.

Currently, imported beef receives the same mark of AgricultureDepartment approval as American beef. But many of those who raiseAmerican beef are not happy with that. They say they work hard tosell the best product, and they want people to know. Tom Connelleyis a rancher in South Dakota. He sells his beef directly to thepublic. And he says business is improving.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter. This is Faith Lapidus.