After more than a decade of pressure from Canadian and American cattle producers, the federal government has agreed to open the border year-round to feeder cattle imports from most areas of the United States.
Effective April 1, feeders from 39 low-and-medium-risk states for bluetongue can be shipped north year-round. Now, they are restricted to seasonal imports.
Cattle from high-risk bluetongue states, including many southern states, can be shipped north if they are tested and found free of the disease or spend 60 days in a low-or-medium-risk state in transit.
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In Canada, they must be confined to feedlots and not enter the national herd. There will be no restrictions based on fear of anaplasmosis.
Until last week, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had restricted imports because of fear the diseases could be shipped north. The cattle industry on both sides of the border had insisted the disease risk did not justify the border restriction.
The diseases affect livestock but not humans.
“We have reviewed the science on this,” CFIA president Richard Fadden told the Senate agriculture committee March 11. “In respect of anaplasmosis, we decided there are enough controls that can be imposed in-country to prevent the spread of the disease. Basically, we are saying that in respect of anaplasmosis, we are deregulating.”
The Canadian cattle industry said it’s about time. It has tied Canada’s restrictions on feeders moving north to U.S foot-dragging on opening the border to Canadian cattle moving south.
“Our expectation is that with this irritant set aside, our cause of getting cattle across the border will receive more favourable consideration on the U.S. side,” said Rob McNabb of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
American cattle producers did not make that promise but they praised the decision.
“This is a significant development,” Kansas cattle producer and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president Jan Lyons said in a statement issued in Washington, D.C. The American cattle lobby said it is committed to science-based border rules.
“Our ability to work with Canada to harmonize our regulations based upon scientific facts and a commitment to fair trade gives us renewed hope that we can also harmonize international regulations relating to BSE,” said NCBA chief executive officer Terry Stokes.
Fadden said the decision to open the border is not risk-free, but it is manageable.
“The bottom line is, there remains a risk,” he told senators. “If we change the rules as the minister has effective April 1, there is a risk that bluetongue will be transmitted to the national herd. We will have to deal with that. There is also a risk it could be transmitted to wildlife.”
