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To the Editor:

I am writing to express concern over the proposed regulation changes by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency pertaining to the importation of bucks into Canada from the United States.

The purebred goat industry is still struggling to get back on its feet after the closing of the Canadian border to breeding stock from 2002 to 2008, and to impose the new regulations based on the scrapies program will finish it off.

In the past, the purebred goat industry in Canada was strong and highly regarded. With the closing of the U.S. border in 2002, this has all changed. The economic hardships that arose from being unable to sell breeding stock to the U.S. drove many breeders out of business, and their animals were sold into commercial operations, from where they disappeared out of the gene pool.

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The remaining breeders were unable to access fresh genetics from the U.S. to keep their breeding programs going, and so even more animals were sold and lost.

Since the border has opened in 2008, the industry has begun to make a slow recovery, with new breeders trying to find animals to start new herds, but the numbers of healthy animals available are low and the pedigrees limited. To close the border to the importation of bucks unless a person is on the scrapies program will be the final nail in the coffin of our industry….

I am also concerned that the U.S. scrapie program is not nearly as vigorous as the proposed Canadian program, and all services are provided free. The low number of herds that are participating in the U.S. program is also a concern, as it limits the importable genetics….

As breeders of purebred stock, we will be unable to bring in the superior genetics we require, which is unacceptable.

If the CFIA and the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture, insist on implementing this program as it is, it will be the end of the purebred goat industry. To go forward with these regulations would be irresponsible to the purebred goat industry and in very short order, there will be no industry left to worry about.