November 17, 2005

USDA to lift all bans on Canadian cattle by May 2006
 

The USDA will complete a new federal rule by May 2006 that would end the remaining US bans on Canadian cattle, USDA spokesman Ed Loyd said Wednesday.

August 2006 was the original goal for completion of the rule that seeks to allow Canadian cattle over 30 months old and breeder cattle across the border, but USDA Secretary Mike Johanns wanted to know if it could be done quicker, Loyd said.

Ron DeHaven, head of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, told Johanns Tuesday evening that he had a plan to speed up the process by completing some of the rule-making procedures consecutively rather than concurrently, Loyd said.

The US banned all Canadian cattle in May 2003 after Canada's first domestic case of mad cow disease.

In July 2005, USDA eased that ban, but only on cattle younger than 30 months because older cattle were believed to be at higher risk for mad cow disease. Canadian breeder cattle-considered an unknown safety factor by USDA at the time-also remained banned.