American cattle officials got a detailed look at the Canadian cattle industry last week as they tried to assess the merits of reopening the border to Canadian cattle.
But politics are still involved in their support for an open border, said the publisher of a U.S. livestock magazine.
There would be larger buy-in from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association if there were no testing and treatment requirements because of anaplasmosis and bluetongue in cattle coming from the United States, said Pete Crow, publisher of the Western Livestock Journal and part of the 11-member tour.
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“To be straight up front with it, anaplas and bluetongue has got to go. That was a major issue with the U.S.
“We want to nail down this bluetongue and anaplas deal and get that thing behind us. There’s a certain amount of politics that we want to play,” said Crow about NCBA support for reopening the border.
The Canadian cattle producers leading the tour didn’t dispute the need to remove impediments to open cross border trade. Last year there was a softening of requirements to importing feedlot cattle from some states into Canada without being tested, but not a total easing of the ban.
Neil Jahnke, past-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said while some people may believe it’s dirty politics to introduce bluetongue and anaplasmosis into the BSE debate, maybe it’s time to change the rules.
“Maybe it’s a good time to resolve these issues,” said Jahnke. “This is a chip.”
Hugh Lynch-Staunton of Lundbreck, Alta., vice-president of the CCA, said reopening the discussion on the other diseases may help convince producers in the northern states that they are getting something in return for their support in reopening the border.
“For people who were on our side, it would make things easier for them to say they’ve been able to achieve an ease in the regulations and that would certainly play well in the northern tier states,” he said.
Brian Evans, Canada’s chief veterinarian, said federal officials have been looking at changes to ease the restrictions on anaplasmosis and bluetongue. They are also concluding a three-year study on breeding animals and the insect that spreads the disease.
Despite the politics, CCA president Stan Eby said the tour went “extremely well.”
He hoped it resolved American concerns over the feed ban, its compliance and the numbers of cattle that will likely move south when the border reopens.
“I felt it reduced the doubt in their minds of the rumours that have been floating around,” he said.
“My understanding is it went as well as can be expected.”
During the tour the Americans met officials from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, who talked about Canada’s BSE protocols and with Canfax officials who talked about cattle numbers.
American officials believe about two million head of cattle could cross the border once it is reopened. According to Canfax, that number is closer to 900,000 head.
Crow said one of the other concerns was allowing meat from cattle older than 30 months to cross the border.
“Down here the politics are not too keen on bringing in the beef from cattle over 30 months old, even if the (specified risk material is) removed.”
This week, members of the U.S. tour that came to Canada will write a report with recommendations to be debated at the upcoming NCBA meeting.
Also this week officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration will be in Canada to review Canada’s feed controls.
