Arno Doerksen, chair of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s animal health committee, said no one knows how long an American investigation into a case of bovine spongiform enceph-alopathy will last.
However, he is hopeful that meetings with South Korean, Japanese, Mexican and U.S. agriculture officials could yield favourable results.
“The uncertainty is the thing that confounds everybody and it is tough for producers,” he said.
Canadian live market prices weakened after Christmas and volumes were low for the first full week of January sales. Fed prices are far below break even, leaving feedlots with losses of more than $300 per head. After a short dip, American live prices returned to the levels they were at before the announcement that BSE was discovered in Washington state Dec. 23.
Read Also
VIDEO: British company Antler Bio brings epigenetics to dairy farms
British company Antler Bio is bringing epigenetics to dairy farms using blood tests help tie how management is meeting the genetic potential of the animals.
Federal aid packages through the agricultural policy framework remain under review.
Mature market programs across the four western provinces were offered in the fall. All application deadlines are Jan. 31.
When the American case was announced, about 35 countries banned U.S. beef. Canada continues to export some boneless cuts to the United States and Mexico even though DNA tests at two separate laboratories traced the animal to an Alberta dairy herd dispersed two years ago.
To further ensure beef safety, Canada promised to enhance animal testing for BSE with a $92.1 million investment over five years.
Canada’s status as a minimal risk BSE country remains, but the U.S. postponed its decision to reopen trade on live cattle younger than 30 months until all investigations are complete.
“We think it’s only prudent that we would have all of the relevant information from these investigations before we decide on how to proceed with that proposed rule,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian Ron DeHaven on Jan. 9.
Canadian and U.S. officials are still looking for a number of animals possibly associated with the infected cow.
According to DeHaven, of the 112 animals sold in the Alberta dispersal herd, 81 went to Washington. The remainder went to various locations and 17 could potentially have been exported to other U.S. destinations.
The index herd in Washington consists of 4,000 animals.
