RED DEER, Alta. – Approval is being sought to allow Montana cattle into some Alberta feedlots without testing them for brucellosis or tuberculosis.
Work to streamline health regulations and testing requirements is ongoing between Canada and Montana, said Ben Thorlakson. He is chair of the Alberta Cattle Commission, as well as head of the Canadian Cattlemen’s animal health committee.
Canada has been brucellosis free since 1985 and has a strict health surveillance program. Every animal over 24 months of age is blood tested at slaughter for the disease which causes spontaneous abortions. Canada is also considered tuberculosis free.
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“We have not had a positive case of brucellosis since 1985. The U.S. has,” said Thorlakson.
If a pilot project is allowed, untested Montana cattle heading north would only be allowed into specified feedlots for finishing. Once fattened, they would have to go directly to slaughter. The cattle also have to be traceable to their owners and come with correct identification. These cattle couldn’t go into backgrounder lots and be sold elsewhere later, said Thorlakson.
Such a deal could be reciprocated by allowing Alberta breeding stock and feeders into the state without similar health checks. However some ranchers are cool to the idea, said John Grande, chair of the Montana stock growers marketing committee.
At its last annual meeting, the Montana Stockgrowers Association discussed a pilot project to allow American feeders to go north and Canadian cattle to be placed in Montana feedlots, said Grande.
A major impediment is a Montana law that prohibits any cattle from entering the state without brucellosis testing. The state legislature isn’t scheduled to meet again until January 1997 and Grande doesn’t expect any changes to the law before then.
If such a project gets the go- ahead, few cattle would move south for finishing. Most fat cattle travel straight through Montana for slaughter in Colorado or Nebraska.
“Frankly, there’s very little incentive for Canadian producers to send cattle into Montana for feeding. You have more feedlots, more slaughter capacity and a better environment for feeding cattle,” he said in an interview from his Martinsdale ranch.
On the American side, Montana is preparing an economic impact study to see what would happen if more Canadian cattle entered the state. It is also looking at the risk to the state’s cattle if it relaxes health tests.
