STRATHMORE, Alta. – Canadian cattle producers have been eagerly anticipating an open border with the United States for four and a half years but if country of origin labelling legislation passes in the U.S., trade could be awkward again.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture rule published last month would allow all Canadian cattle born after March 1999 to enter the country as of Nov. 19 for any purpose. However, R-CALF has filed for an injunction to prevent the border opening. The Montana-based group was able to stall trade on young animals in 2005 with a court injunction.
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“We were burned on Rule 1 and a lot of people won’t believe it until they see it,” said John Masswohl of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
However, officials on both sides of the border are working out details on the assumption trade will proceed, he told an Alberta Beef Producers zone meeting in Strathmore Oct. 29.
Recent meetings with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency indicate requirements for providing proof of age may be less daunting than originally feared:
- The U.S. will accept visual inspection by certified veterinarians of young cattle up to about three years old.
“Technically, cattle coming out of feedlots would still have to prove they were born after March 1999,” he said.
- Vets can examine teeth and determine whether the eighth incisor has not erupted, meaning the animal is about four to five years old
- If a visual check or dentition are not adequate, birth dates on any permanent records acceptable to the certifying vet may be used. However, the agency has not described what documents are acceptable.
“The feeling from CFIA is a lot of what the vet is willing to accept depends on the vet’s comfort level with the particular producer or particular exporter,” Masswohl said.
This birth information does not have to be in the Canadian Livestock Identification Agency database. If a producer’s records indicate a cow was born in 1999, that should be acceptable.
The new rule does not require pregnancy checking of heifers.
Trucks destined for the U.S. would no longer have to be sealed at the farm.
Slaughter cattle trucks have to be sealed at the border and go direct to the slaughter facility. Animals do not need permanent identification.
Feeder and breeding cattle still require permanent identification with a brand or ear tattoo but once they are in the U.S. they may go anywhere.
“Any Canadian feeder cattle that are in the U.S. right now, as of Nov. 19 those restrictions will be lifted as well,” Masswohl said.
This rule also permits the importation of beef derived from cattle of any age but anticipated mandatory country-of-origin labeling could disrupt the meat trade. It covers cattle and hogs but excludes poultry.
Details are sketchy and no one knows what version of the law will finally be implemented, Masswohl said.
It is scheduled to come into effect next October.
The labelling law was part of the 2002 farm bill and the U.S. government is determined to include it in the 2007 bill with changes making it easier to implement.
One of the major changes expected is dropping requirements for retailers to keep full records on the origins of all food sold.
“That eliminated a lot of the opposition,” he said.
Meat must be labelled at the retail level but not at restaurants.
Ground beef was a particular problem because the meat from the animals used had to be listed according to the proportion from each country. Now, if processors know the sources of all beef that they grind, they can label all packages saying the product may contain beef from animals with a list of countries.
Meat derived from animals imported for immediate slaughter must be labelled by country of origin.
Questions have arisen over how some American slaughter plants killing Canadian animal might manage. They may know the origin of the cattle upon arrival but they may not know the origin of the beef leaving the plant.
A Canadian beef and pork coalition has warned the U.S. of a North American Free Trade Agreement or World Trade Organization challenge to the law because it discriminates against imported products.
“Talk to your MPs and get them to tell the Canadian government to tell the U.S. Congress if they implement this,, it will violate NAFTA and we are headed for a trade challenge,” Masswohl told beef producers.
