Farmer loses custody of cloned cows

Farmer loses custody of cloned cows

	Published : Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:56 By : Agencies Print this Story

WILLIAMSPORT, Md. - A cash-strapped western Maryland dairy farmer with two cloned cows in his herd lost custody of his cattle Tuesday in legal proceedings stemming from a family business dispute.

It wasn't clear whether the clones still might be made into hamburger despite the U.S. food industry's voluntary ban on products from cloned livestock. Farmer Gregory C. Wiles had said he would consider such a move if he couldn't find a home for the animals.

But the cattle are now being cared for by Wiles' father, Charles, who owns the 200-acre Futuraland Farm and had his 40-year-old son evicted Tuesday. Charles Wiles told The Associated Press in December that the clones should be destroyed and buried if their milk or meat can't be sold.

Gregory Wiles still owns the cattle, but he would have to successfully petition the Washington County District Court to have them returned to him. Otherwise, some or all of the cows would be sold to pay his debt to his father of nearly $7,584.

The Farm Service Agency, an arm of the U.S. Agriculture Department, also could become involved because it holds a lien on the cattle and other farm property that Wiles pledged as collateral for a loan.

Wiles watched from his house across the road Tuesday as his father, who declined to comment on the case, consulted with an officer from the Humane Society of Washington County and a Maryland Department of Agriculture veterinarian about the cattle.

'Hopefully, we can find a new location that has a milking facility, we can take these animals to and continue to care for them,' Wiles said.

Charles Wiles' attorney, William C. Wantz, didn't return telephone calls from the AP.

Gregory Wiles had one of his most productive milk cows cloned in 2001, resulting in two copies named Genesis and Cyagra. For about two years, he reaped a financial bounty from sales of their offspring to other dairy farms.

But the business dried up after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked farmers in 2003 to refrain from selling products from cloned animals into the food supply. Since then, Wiles has been dumping milk produced by the clones and their 15 offspring.

Late last month, the FDA declared food from cloned livestock safe for human consumption, but the voluntary ban remains in place while the government gathers public comment on a proposal to allow sales of such products without special labeling.

There are about 150 cloned dairy cattle on U.S. farms and universities, according to the National Milk Producers Federation.