Open door to feeders could alter U.S. meat labelling law

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Published: July 11, 2002

OTTAWA – Year-round movement of American feeder cattle from northern

U.S. states might reduce the chances that a country-of-origin meat

labelling law will be applied to Canadian meat, suggests a former

president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Speaking at a meeting on cattle diseases June 21, Lynn Cornwell said

changes to Canadian animal health regulations that restrict cattle

movement to October through March could have an effect on U.S. Senate

elections.

That might mean changes to the pro-American labelling that is scheduled

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“If (Canada) changes the bluetongue rules, all the (American) seed

stock producers will perceive that progress is being made, that they

can export cattle,” said Cornwell.

“I think we’ll have company-of-origin before we’ll have

country-of-origin. I think we have an opportunity here to fix a problem

… that involves not only animal health issues but that could blow up

into some trade problems. This opportunity that is knocking is a way to

heal a lot of distrust.”

Canada allows the import of American cattle from northern states only

in winter months when the weather is too cold for survival of insects

that can transmit bluetongue and anaplasmosis. Canada is officially

free of both diseases.

A proposal was put forward last year to allow summer imports of U.S.

feeder cattle, but it was rejected this spring by the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency.

Since then, the CCA has said country-of-origin labelling was passed in

retaliation for the perceived trade inequity that sees unrestricted

flow of cattle from Canada to the U.S. while American imports are

blocked at certain times of year.

The association wants regulatory changes that will allow feeders to be

imported from the U.S. year-round, without the need for extra testing.

“This has become a trade issue, not an animal health issue,” said

Cornwell.

About the author

Barb Glen

Barb Glen

Barb Glen is the livestock editor for The Western Producer and also manages the newsroom. She grew up in southern Alberta on a mixed-operation farm where her family raised cattle and produced grain.

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