December 30, 2003

 

 

Canada Refutes US Stance in Reassessing Cattle Trade

 

Canada's federal agriculture minister gave his viewpoint yesterday on the issue of the United States reassessing cattle trade with Canada. The agriculture minister said if the Americans stick to science in the handling of their first mad cow case, US would have no reasons to delay the resumption of Canadian cattle imports.

 

Bob Speller delivered that message in Winnipeg as producers and politicians alike scrambled for answers about what effect the discovery might have on the cattle industry and on trade relations between the two countries.

 

U.S. officials said the infected cow found in Washington state was believed to have come from a herd of 74 dairy cattle in Alberta, but DNA tests were still being conducted.

 

"We don't believe that in fact this should have any impact in slowing the process under which (the U.S. border would be opened) to live animals," Speller said.

 

Canadian producers have already lost more than $1.9 billion in exports since a single cow tested positive in Alberta last May for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the scientific term for mad cow disease.

 

While trade in boneless cuts from cattle under 30 months has resumed, the U.S. is still reviewing the pros and cons of lifting its ban on live cattle.

 

The rookie minister said he spoke with his U.S. counterpart on Saturday to stress that Canadian beef is safe, but did not receive any assurances.

 

"We didn't really get into any of the details."

 

While some cattle producers are bracing for more tough times, Speller did not commit to any new aid programs, saying it is "too early to speculate" on possible fallout from the Washington cow.

 

In Calgary, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein downplayed the significance of the possibility that the latest animal to test positive for BSE came from his province.

 

Klein said the North American beef industry is too integrated for that distinction to matter.

 

"An American bull sniffing a Canadian cow doesn't ask for that cow's national identity," Klein said Monday.

 

"The beef industries of both countries are so intertwined that co-operation and mutual support are essential for the industries of both countries."

 

Alberta, home to more than half of Canada's 13.5 million cattle, has taken the hardest hit since the first BSE case was found.

 

Klein appealed for cooler heads to prevail until results of DNA tests are complete, which could be another week. Once the origin of the cow is confirmed, the next step will be to trace its feed, which is the most probable source of infection.

 

There is a possibility the feed might have been mixed with proteins imported from the U.S., according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

 

"You need to know where the protein came from that went into the feed," said George Luterbach, the agency's chief veterinarian of animal health in Western Canada. "We've started that investigation and it's ongoing as we speak."

 

In Washington, American agriculture officials confirmed Monday that records show the diseased cow was born in Canada in April 1997, several months before both countries began banning brain and spinal cord tissue for use in animal feed. That tissue is the primary source of transmission for mad cow disease.

 

U.S. officials were also tracing another eight imported dairy cattle from Canada.

 

Dr. Ron DeHaven, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief veterinarian, said the feed restrictions mean there is no reason to question the safety of the U.S. meat supply.

 

"Even with the finding of this single cow, the U.S. remains at very low risk," he said.  But in Alberta's cattle country, sellers were already expecting the latest news to depress prices.

 

Jack Daines, spokesman for Innisfail Auction Market, said some producers were optimistic at a December sale about exports resuming, and prices for black heifers, often used for breeding stock, were healthy. Now he's expecting prices to fall by about 12 cents per pound.

 

"A 500-pound black heifer calf was trading up to $1.25 (per pound) and those same heifer calves last fall were about $1.20," Daines said. "So we had a market making a real good recovery until this son of a gun hit."

 

Canadian Alliance agriculture critic Rick Casson accused Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberals of failing their first major test to deal with western alienation.

 

"What these guys don't get is that this multibillion-dollar industry is on the verge of collapsing," Casson said from his riding in southern Alberta.

 

"What Canadians need to see and what the industry needs to see is the prime minister fully engaged in this and the reassurances that he is up to speed on what is happening here."

 

The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association said most producers aren't yet pushing the panic button over the latest mad cow case.

 

"I think it's too early to tell," said association president Betty Green.

 

"Certainly, we're waiting for the end of the investigation and that will take some time. We need to follow through ... not only on the origin of the cow but on the source of the feed and all of the events in between."