PHOENIX, Ariz. – A proposal to stop further beef or cattle exports from Canada to the United States until the long debated bluetongue issue is resolved may go nowhere, but it might get some attention.
John Swanz, president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, said bluetongue and anaplasmosis regulations in Canada have held up free movement of cattle for years. The resolution on the matter was passed at the animal health committee level of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual meeting Jan. 30.
“It is time this was harmonized. We are saying the border should not be expanded to boneless beef or live animals until this is dealt with,” said Swanz after the meeting.
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“Hopefully the climate will improve in Canada to where they will want to buy our cattle.”
Both countries are moving to harmonize surveillance and control rules for another disease, BSE. But that might mean governments will again ignore the request to deal with blue tongue and anaplasmosis, diseases which few in Canada or the northern tier states have actually seen.
“We are worried we are going to get lost in the shuffle,” Swanz said.
Jim Peterson of Montana said Canada should accept the occasional case of bluetongue as part of the cost of doing business.
“We can’t have rules based on science for one issue and then have other rules that are not based on science for another issue,” he said.
Gary Weber of the NCBA said Canada must change its policy on the two diseases.
“If we don’t get this fixed now, we never will,” he said at the joint U.S.-Canada meeting.
“Either Canada is in this North American market and we are fair with each other or we are not,” he said.
He contends government officials are to blame for not accepting scientific evidence even though the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has repeatedly asked for changes.
Without agreement on this issue, the two countries cannot make joint policy on BSE, Weber said.
