Choice or not?
The referenced article (WP editorial, May 22) states that “the challenge will no doubt be criticized as an effort to thwart European consumers’ choice to reject genetically modified foods, but it is just the opposite.
The EU ban now denies European consumers the ability to choose between GM and non-GM food at their supermarkets.”
I have to ask, do the Europeans want the same lack of choice as those consumers in North America, as without labelling of GM foods, we as are denied the choice as to GM and non-GM.
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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?
There seems to be an onus on the consumers to prove that the products are unsafe rather than for the corporations to prove them safe.
– Doug McGowan,
Nanton, Alta.
Swallow a fly
Re: Technique may halt GMO spread (WP, May 15.)
The article describes research to prevent contamination of other plants caused by cross-pollination with genetically modified plants. A GM plant is further modified by inserting two more genes: a lethal gene that prevents germination and a repressor gene, which prevents the first gene from working, and so and so.
This reminds me of my youth and the rendition by Alan Mills on CBC radio: “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly.” In summary it goes like this: “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly! I guess she’ll die.”
Then, to counteract the first act, she swallowed in succession, a spider, a bird, a cat, a dog, a goat, a cow, and then a horse … “She’s dead, of course!”
There’s got to be a moral in the song for the practice of playing around with genetic modification. There is no end to it. Or maybe there is.
– Michael Mowchenko,
Regina, Sask.
BSE tests
I have worked testing cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Germany.
I have completed over 100,000 BSE tests myself.
It seems in Germany that the general people did not believe the government when they stated the German beef supply was safe. At first Germany had said they had no BSE, then they said it was an isolated case when it was found. Subsequently, our firm and others found some 80 cases of BSE positive tests during 2001-2002.
In the European Union it is mandated that all slaughtered cattle over three years of age must be tested for BSE. To me it seems prudent to test each cow over 24 months old that is slaughtered for BSE.
In Alberta I understand this would mean testing some 10,000 cows per day.
The BSE testing can also work with the Canadian ear tagging program and DNA genomic sample storage that can determine the origins of meat if a cow is found to be ill.
The storage of a tissue sample from a cow’s ear, obtained at the time of tagging, can also provide useful genetic information about the cow or bull to cattle breeders should the animal turn out to be good breeding stock.
The idea is that taking and storing a tissue sample from each cow costs only about $2 to $5 US. The more expensive, $40 to $180 DNA genotyping can be done at a later date if there is a need for it. Medigenomix, Orchid and Sequenom all have good systems for livestock DNA genotyping.
The cost for a BSE test is about $20 to $30, including the cost for storage of an eartag tissue sample for possible future DNA genotyping.
Very good EU approved BSE tests include Bio-Rad, Prionics and Enfer. The cost per hundredweight for a 550-pound animal comes out at about 4.1 cents per pound or $4.10 per cwt.
This seems a real bargain for an industry that could possibly be looking at a loss of 40 percent or more in beef revenue if Canada experiences the same market dynamics as other countries who have had problems with BSE.
Full testing of cattle over 24 months of age is prudent, will restore consumer confidence and offers the best direction to lift export sanctions with the greatest speed. BSE testing plans used in the EU and Japan will also work in Canada.
– Kevin Reed,
Anaheim, California
Give credit
The piece on hospital closures featuring Bengough, Sask., in your May 15 issue needs some comment by way of addition.
Health care in Bengough and 50 other communities is as good today as it is not because the 1993 closure plan worked but because its most harmful elements were reversed.
That reversal happened by the work of 51 communities who joined together to form the Rural Health Coalition.
The coalition, through public action, was able to demonstrate enough strength that the government of the day wanted to negotiate a solution.
The solution was embodied in the Rural Health Coalition Agreement, which still stands today as a contract between the Saskatchewan government and the 51 communities. Of the 52 named, the government kept one open.
The agreement guarantees:
- 24 hour emergency service;
- existing diagnostic and long-term care unless changes can be justified by a set of written principles;
- a dispute resolution system to resolve problems that arise;
- no interference with local medical practices.
The closures announced in April 1993 provided for none of the above and had the original policies been left in place, communities like Bengough across Saskatchewan would have little health care or none at all.
The real story from 1993 is about the credit that properly goes to rural representatives from the 51 communities who stood up for what they believed.
The credit that goes to the Saskatchewan government is that it did recognize the wisdom of entering into the negotiations and allowing rural residents to be active participants in the design of their own future.
– Roderick E. MacDonald,
Chair,
1993 Rural Health Coalition,
Radville, Sask.
No to tax
What went wrong, America and Canada? We need to hear a message that may not be politically correct. Can we learn from history?
Our fathers, pioneers, hard-working people, carved out of wilderness countries that were great. They had a dream. They meant to leave a heritage for future generations, to be free to choose their way of life, to enjoy the fruits of their own labour.
Our fathers came in the early 1800s from countries where their fathers became slaves to oppressive governments.
Civilizations became great, and honourable when they had no income tax (and) when they had no king (government) with the power to tax. Canada and America had no income tax until 1917 and 1913 respectively. We became great countries.
Now we are under attack. The world is mad. Unrest everywhere. We are now slaves to an oppressive, economic, political system in our own countries.
(We) have become dependent on social programs of all sorts, on the backs of future generation, our children. Love of families is not what it was. We do not know each other anymore.
Money spent on social programs means debt and taxation. The rich become richer and the rest become slaves to the welfare system, slaves to the political manipulators.
Society is caught in a bind, victimized, demanding more and more support from the taxpayer to pay their bills and support families.
Our country, Canada, young as it is, is dying. We witness it daily.
Bigger and bigger, and amalgamation is the trend. The rural communities, once the heart of our nation, are all but history….
Is there a way out of this dilemma? Yes, there is. …Economic reform can be had if the people will demand it. Maybe some day they will. No need for all this debt and taxation. Interest on money and taxation is forbidden in a just society. …
For a while we were free from the money monopoly. Now we are caught in the snare again. The people are at unrest and there is revolt in the land.
We have a choice to make. Will we continue to support the political manipulators that are the guardian angels of the money power? Shall we consider the future generation?
– Geo. G. Elias,
Haskett-Morden, Man.
Fruit testing folly
On Monday, May 26, I looked with pride at our fruit trees.
After two or three years, the pear trees in particular looked promising and I was grateful. After all, I’m not going to live forever and want to see the fruits of my love for trees.
The kiwi grapes, saskatoons, raspberries, strawberries, plum, apple (crab and household), miniature orange, pincherry, etc. all looked very promising.
On Tuesday, May 27, I found the pear tree in the main had its leaves curling up badly on the east side of the trees.
Since then, the weeping willow, birch, cherry and other trees are showing signs of illness.
I’m frantic, but as in the past (this happened a few times), I would take a sample to the department of agriculture at the service centre in Yorkton, Sask., and get some advice as to what may have happened.
Not so.
They were glad that I brought in a one-day sample, but I would be required to pay $20 for a visual test and/or $120 for a chemical test, a test that was provided free five or six years ago.
It was insinuated that a cost was necessary just in case this ended up in court. Excuse me?
Courts are not my favourite pastime and I would like to keep my friends.
– Emmanuel Oystreck,
Yorkton, Sask.
Tragic disease
It is ironic, tragic, that they cannot find a better way of constraining this disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) than killing a man’s life work, without having any proof other than assuming that the whole herd is infected.
This concept is pathetic and tragic, literally. I fail to see or understand the logic of this concept.
Can you explain yourself rationally? That’s like saying, ‘let’s shoot first and ask questions later.’ That makes no sense whatsoever.
This disease … is not infection but nutritional, the reason it takes so much time to incubate.
Ask any old rancher if they had that problem. They fed them good grass and natural grown hay, as good as God made it, with some added minerals. They did not need any scientist to tell them that they had good feed, no contaminated trash like they do now.
Would it not be saner when one animal or a few are found with this disease to slaughter these animals, not for the food chain of any kind, of course, and put the rest of the herd on alert, or quarantine, and wait for a period of one year and test any one that has to be sold later as they come ready for market?
But first change the type of feed, as an added precaution. That would be more logical and not so devastating as what they do now.
This concept would not ruin the reputation of a country and its cattle markets.
This is an observation after 65 years of farming and raising livestock, and never had or tried to sell an animal in such a condition in the food chain as seen on TV.
– R. Baillargeon,
North Battleford, Sask.
Priorities
… (Regarding) this mad cow thing, in January, some Agriculture Canada veterinary inspector thinks a cow might have mad cow disease. Well, we better test that carefully and test it again to make sure.
Five months later they announce we have mad cow disease. My good grief.
We had to send it to England in what? A row boat? … Five months later it’s a little too late, folks. Why didn’t they just bury it?
They say mad cow disease is caused by a slow virus. Ottawa must have caught that one a few years ago because they sure are slow down there.
(Prime minister Jean) Chrétien conversed with U.S. President Bush this past week, talking of baseball or golf or something but neglecting to bring up the mad cow issue. Get your priorities straight.
But it also filters down to the local levels of government, too. The Rural Municipality of Britannia was a founding member of the Agriculture Producers of Saskatchewan.
They paid their dues, had a member elected who stated at the annual meeting that he felt there was no need for a provincial agriculture voice.
Now we have seen some substantial results from the work of APAS, one of which was the feed connection last year. Britannia producers received the second highest amount of freight assistant dollars paid in the province, over $15,000. An insurance program is currently being lobbied for to help producers when stockyards, auctioneers, processing plants and feeder co-ops go bankrupt and leave the producers holding the empty bag.
APAS lobbied and received an extra $42 million for the province in NISA (Net Income Stabilization Account) proceeds.
However, it was voted on by a narrow majority of councillors that even after the levy was cut by one-third to $11,000, which the producers pay themselves with their tax dollars; Britannia would not join this year. …
But by the looks of it we are headed for another drought and just maybe we might need that feed connection again or someone who has the interest and ability to inform the public of how safe our beef supply is.
Individual agriculture producers are so busy just trying to eke out a living that they do not have time or energy to fight for the issues that arise. We need a unified voice, someone who is interested in getting the border open and jobs back.
– Dave Ollen,
Lloydminster, Sask.
