When it comes to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the United States is sending conflicting messages by saying it is a North American problem but then acting as if Canada is the culprit, a Liberal MP complained last week.
Wayne Easter, former National Farmers Union president and former federal solicitor general, said in a Jan. 16 interview from Prince Edward Island that the Americans agree with Canada that the North American beef industry is integrated. But then the U.S. tries to tell world markets that because the Washington state case of BSE involved a cow born in Canada, it is a Canadian problem and borders should not be closed to American cattle and meat.
Read Also
Phosphate prices to remain high
Phosphate prices are expected to remain elevated, according to Mosaic’s president.
“They are trying to have it both ways, calling it a North American industry while also telling the world the American beef industry is separate from us and safer,” said Easter.
“They should be told they cannot have it both ways.”
Alberta Conservative MP Monte Solberg, who spent last week travelling to foreign capitals with agriculture minister Bob Speller, found himself in rare agreement with Easter.
“The Americans do appear to have a mixed message, agreeing the problem is continental while trying to market as if their industry is isolated,” he said in a Jan. 16 interview from Washington.
In a letter to agriculture minister Bob Speller, Easter said Canada should be firm in its message to the Americans that there is one industry.
“The federal government has an obligation to remind U.S. partners that given the integration of our beef industry, to attempt to segregate Canada as being somehow separate from the U.S. industry is both misleading and contradicted by recurring statements by U.S. officials,” wrote Easter.
The only appropriate solution is for the Americans to open their border to Canadian cattle.
“By opening the border, the signal will be sent around the world that the BSE issue is under control on both sides of the border and that consumers internationally can have confidence in Canadian and U.S. beef products.”
In the interview, Easter said if the Americans do not quickly open the border for young cattle moving south, Canada should tighten its border to mirror American rules. Currently, Canada has more generous rules for American beef coming north than the Americans have in reverse.
“It is only fair that we have the same rules,” said Easter.
Difference of opinion
At a Jan. 16 news conference in Washington after meeting Speller and Mexican agriculture secretary Javier Usabiaga, U.S. agriculture secretary Ann Veneman implied that the U.S. and Canada had reacted similarly after discovering a case of BSE in the herd of their neighbouring country.
Solberg said that is not true.
“Canada didn’t react like the rest of the world did,” he said. “We were quite generous to the United States in our reaction and our rules.”
