January 20, 2005

 

 

U.S. - Canada beef trade to open despite concerns

 

The United State's outgoing Agriculture Secretary, Ann Veneman, said on Wednesday she saw no reason to delay re-opening the U.S. border to Canadian cattle, despite growing concerns from farm groups and the media that such action would increase the risk of mad cow disease.

 

The New York Times urged the USDA in an editorial on Wednesday to keep its 20-month ban in place "until, at the very least, the food that infected the cow in this new case has been traced."

 

Earlier this month, Canada confirmed two more cases of mad cow disease. The United States closed its border to Canadian cattle in May 2003 after Canada discovered its first native case of the brain-wasting disease.

 

Veneman told reporters the USDA would stick to its plan to resume Canadian cattle trade on March 7.

 

A USDA technical team will visit Canada on January 24 to assess the new cases and evaluate the country's animal feed system, a USDA spokesman said.

 

"Unless the investigation turns up something drastically different from current assumptions, I wouldn't see a reason to change the ruling," Veneman said.

 

The U.S. Congress could overturn the USDA plan by passing a joint resolution of disagreement. The R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America group has filed a federal lawsuit to block Washington from lifting the ban.

 

The New York Times editorial also urged the Bush administration to "make sure that Canadian and American cattle are all tested rigorously" for the disease. The USDA last year expanded its testing program, but contends there is no scientific justification to test every cow or steer.

 

In another editorial, also published on Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal supported the USDA's plan to resume trade.

 

"The ban has been in place far too long already, and for reasons that have much more to do with trade protections than safe hamburgers," the newspaper said.

 

A Canadian government official, who wished to remain unidentified, said Canada would not over react and believed the USDA would make a final decision sometime next month. Canadian farmers and ranchers want the border reopened because the United States has historically been the largest export market for their cattle.

 

Many U.S. meat plants have also pressed for trade to resume because they depend on Canadian cattle to keep their slaughter plants supplied and operating efficiently.

 

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the largest U.S. ranchers' group, sent its own delegation to Canada this week to review the country's mad cow safeguards.