Canadian Beef Export Federation president Ted Haney flew back to Alberta from a BSE meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, last week convinced the United States border will be open to Canadian cattle by mid-May.
He expects it will be a staged opening with cattle younger than 30 months destined for American packing plants being allowed across the 49th parallel first.
Then, within weeks, young cattle heading to American feedlots will be given the green light.
Haney said he also expects beef products from cattle older than 30 months will be part of the announcement.
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“I believe we will be getting a decision soon,” said Haney, who is CBEF president and a Liberal candidate in a Calgary constituency. “I think the industry and the administration are on the same page that restoring normal trade is important for their economy. There are no mixed signals.”
Haney spent two days last week at a Texas conference on the fallout from BSE, co-sponsored by the American beef and packing industries.
He said the protectionist statements by the R-CALF USA lobby group and leading Democratic senators to call for a delay in any border opening “crystallized” the industry into pressing for a fast resolution of the issue.
The United States Department of Agriculture is analyzing more than 3,000 opinions on the border question filed before the end of an April 7 comment period on proposals to resume live cattle trade.
Haney said the fastest a decision ever has come from USDA after a legally required comment period was 31 days.
