IN many ways, Canada has little control over its journey back to the ranks of a world exporter of beef and cattle. Importing countries, not Canada, hold the key to unlocking borders.
Because so much is outside its control, it is critically important for Canada’s beef industry and governments to make sure they excel at the things they can direct, such as the BSE surveillance testing program.
In January, the federal government announced it would increase its BSE surveillance program and test at least 8,000 animals in the first year, rising to 30,000 animals a year or more in the future to meet international testing standards. Testing is to focus on the animals most at risk of BSE, such as downer animals.
Read Also
Agriculture needs to prepare for government spending cuts
As government makes necessary cuts to spending, what can be reduced or restructured in the budgets for agriculture?
It is imperative for Canada to fully meet or exceed the guidelines established by the Office International des Epizooties, the international animal-health governing agency. Canada has based its case for reopening borders on the need to follow internationally recognized science as represented by the standards of the OIE.
It was troubling to hear the concerns of Fred Dunn, Alberta’s auditor general, who warned Aug. 3 that Alberta might fail to meet its testing goals and thus might give trading partners a reason to keep borders closed.
The province has the laboratory capability. The difficulty lies in getting the animals to test.
As of the end of July in Alberta only about 900 of the province’s goal of 2,700 tests had been completed.
There is a difference of opinion why the samples aren’t coming in.
Some believe producers are leery about participating because of the chance they might have the next case of BSE diagnosed and suffer the notoriety that entails.
Alberta Beef Producers says producers are committed to the program but are daunted by the cost of collecting and submitting samples.
It is not fair for hard-pressed producers to foot the bill themselves and a program that is supposed to offset the cost is slow to get going. Because it is critical to relaunching Canada’s multibillion-dollar beef export business and all the jobs and economic activity it supports, the BSE surveillance program is clearly of national interest and should be totally funded by government.
Working out the details of the surveillance collection program must become a priority and a producer education program must be implemented quickly and thoroughly.
It must also be impressed upon producers that participation is vital to the future of the industry. A surveillance program that fails to meet its targets would send the wrong signal to foreign markets that Canada is not serious about BSE. It must be made clear to all that there is no incentive to shoot, shovel and shut up.
