A cattle industry group that advocates BSE testing of Canadian beef animals to suit export markets suggests that a slaughter plant be built in Saskatchewan.
Cam Ostercamp of the Beef Initiative Group Canada, or BIG, said a plant centrally located in the Prairies could process and test all slaughter animals and sell them in export markets other than the United States.
Ostercamp said he and other BIG members discussed the idea last week with Saskatchewan agriculture minister Mark Wartman and other government officials.
“They were very receptive to this concept. They see it as a potential solution,” said Ostercamp.
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In a later telephone interview, Wartman said the group presented helpful ideas.
“They are pointing to a significant need to deal with cull cows and bulls and animals over 30 months. We need to get a clear sense of how viable this is. From our point of view, they have some good ideas.”
Wartman said the province awaits a business plan from BIG before it can assess ways to provide assistance.
Ostercamp, a Blackie, Alta., farmer, spoke June 30 in Saskatoon to a group of about 50 area cattle producers.
It was the seventh in a series of meetings organized by BIG to advocate BSE testing of all slaughter animals to increase exports and stabilize an industry that has been in disarray since one case of BSE was discovered 14 months ago in Canada.
Ostercamp and fellow BIG member Doug Fraser said the Saskatchewan government has “less baggage” than Alberta, where the province may once have provided incentives to attract and retain two major packing plants: Cargill in High River and Tyson in Brooks.
In addition, Saskatchewan has a land base, ample feed grain production capacity and a cattle feeding industry.
“We think this is the most logical place to do it and the province can help the cattle industry get out from under it,” said Fraser.
The BIG proposal suggests that such a plant, which would have an initial capacity of 1,500 head per day, could be funded through producer check-off money and organized as a corporation rather than a co-operative.
The plant would cultivate and service export markets other than the United States, would test every animal to the specifications of its customers and would be owned by Canadian cattle producers on a shareholder basis.
It would initially slaughter and test cull cows and bulls and would thus not be in direct competition with Canada’s two largest packers, one of which doesn’t slaughter cattle older than 30 months, said Ostercamp.
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Alberta Beef Producers and several other cattle groups have spoken against mandatory BSE testing, saying science doesn’t warrant it.
They also object to a testing regimen that doesn’t match that of the U.S., fearing alienation of that market. At last week’s meeting, one Saskatchewan producer asked about the cost of BSE testing and whether it would have to be covered by producers.
“The cost of testing is of far less importance to us right now than the cost of not testing,” said Ostercamp, adding there is a possibility export customers would be willing to foot the testing bill.
Although there are at least 20 proposals for western Canadian slaughter plants, Ostercamp said he expects few will significantly address the shortage of domestic slaughter capacity.
The smaller ones are designed to service regional niche markets, he said, while the larger ones don’t address the cull cow issue.
