Anticipated changes to Canadian animal health rules should open the gate to more American feeder cattle heading north.
Industry representatives recently met with federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief to find ways to pull a thorn out of the American cattle producers over issues regarding bluetongue and anaplasmosis restrictions.
Overtures to relax rules on cattle from low health-risk states could be an appeasement for a costly tariff on live cattle heading south.
“We want to create the most positive climate that we can for the upcoming injury hearings of the (International Trade Commission) in November,” said rancher Carl Block, who chairs the health of animals committee for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
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Earlier expansion
The project, now known as the Canadian Restricted Feeder Cattle Import Program, expanded earlier this month to let in cattle from North Dakota and Idaho. These states join Washington, Hawaii and Montana which may ship cattle north between Oct. 1 and April 1 without costly health tests. The fly that carries the bluetongue disease cannot survive Canadian winters.
The plan is to eventually allow U.S. feeder cattle into Canada year round.
“We do have an integrated cattle market and it’s incumbent on us to co-ordinate animal health requirements as much as we can,” said Block.
He said Canada needs to re-evaluate its position on bluetongue.
The bulk of Canada’s trade is with the United States and Mexico, so health regulations should be reasonable.
Canada accepted more than 50,000 feeders last year. Most of the 100 feedlots certified to receive them are in Alberta. The program was regarded as a success on both sides of the border.
“Producers down there were very happy when the Canadian buyers were in the market,” said Block.
“They felt it added up to three cents a (hundredweight) to the price of their calves.”
