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Canadian Cows To Cross U.S Border Nov. 19

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    Canadian Cows To Cross U.S Border Nov. 19

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007—The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that it will expand the list of allowable imports from countries recognized as presenting a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United States. Currently, Canada is the only minimal-risk country designated by the United States.

    "This rule is firmly based in science and ensures that we continue to protect the U.S. against BSE," said Bruce Knight, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. "It also is consistent with our commitment to promote fair trade practices and further normalizes trade with countries that institute the appropriate safeguards to prevent the spread of BSE."

    This rule makes final a proposed rule published in the Jan. 9, 2007 Federal Register.

    It also builds upon and expands the rule published by APHIS in January 2005 that allowed the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products, including cattle under 30 months of age for slaughter from countries recognized as minimal risk. The final rule announced today allows for the importation from Canada of:

    Live cattle and other bovines (i.e., bison) for any use (including breeding) born on or after, March 1, 1999, which APHIS has determined to be the date of effective enforcement of Canada's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban;

    Blood and blood products derived from bovines, collected under certain conditions; and

    Casings and part of the small intestine derived from bovines.

    The January 2005 final rule, the first MRR rule, allowed the importation of Canadian bovine meat and meat products of any age. Subsequent to the publication of the final rule in January 2005, USDA delayed the applicability of those provisions of that final rule that dealt with meat and meat products from animals 30 months of age or older.

    With this final rule which will be published shortly, that temporary delay in applicability is lifted and importation of these meat and meat products now can occur.

    As part of its BSE rulemaking process, APHIS conducted a thorough risk assessment following guidelines put forth by the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE, that evaluated the entire risk pathway, including mitigations in place both in Canada and the United States. The assessment also included evaluating the likelihood of BSE introduction via imports, the likelihood of animal exposure in the U.S. if this were to occur and the subsequent consequences. The assessment found that the risk of BSE establishment in the United States as a result of the imports announced today and those announced in January 2005 is negligible. APHIS considered new information related to the risk assessment, including Canada's identification of animals born after the date of the feed ban to evaluate the potential impact and determined that the original assessment was sufficiently robust that new data did not change the conclusions of the assessment. The risk assessment underwent a thorough, independent peer review in which all of the reviewers concurred with APHIS' risk assessment. The reviewers agreed that APHIS followed OIE guidelines and standards and acknowledged the scientific rigor of the assessment.

    Additionally, APHIS encouraged the public to participate in the decision-making process by providing feedback through the submission of public comments. The public comment period on the proposed rule opened Jan. 9, 2007 and closed on March 12, 2007.

    There are a series of interlocking safeguards in place to protect animal health from BSE transmission. These longstanding safeguards include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban, import controls, aggressive disease surveillance and U.S. slaughter practices.

    Moreover, human health in the United States also is protected by another system of interlocking safeguards that ensure the safety of U.S. beef. The most important of these safeguards is the ban on specified risk materials from the food supply. Canada has similar safeguards in place.

    The final rule is scheduled for publication in the Sept. 18, 2007 Federal Register and becomes effective Nov. 19, 2007. Additional information is available at www.aphis.usda.gov.

    #2
    Welcome back.

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks Willow Kreek. It is actually real good news for those of us who have survived the last four and a half years.

      I just wish that we could BSE test our beef for all of those Americans who still have questions.

      Sure am looking forward to contacting some old friends and hopefully a lot of new ones to offer them some of our fine purebred stock for the first time in a long long time.

      Lots of little things that will take place besides the purebred stock movement. Dairy heifers --- bull meat, and what's left of the cull cows that have not been stolen. Don't worry Oldtimer - not a lot left. In fact our overall production is low now and will be lower due to the debacle and we won't even have as much beef or cattle for export period. Rcalf might have to shift the focus to other borders.

      I would even go out on a limb and say that this opening will have a bit of an effect on the fat and feeder market. Simple optimism plus the fact that instead of stealing cull cows and having our checkoff dollars help sell meat for the pirates - they may actually have to do some competitive bidding for a change. By some fats to keep their new employees busy once the cow prices come up. The new employees the are smiling at getting dropped in their lap after they were successful in squashing Ranchers Beef like a bug.

      Once again - it will likely not affect the American market more than a tiny little bit, but it will certainly direct a few dollars from the pirates greedy hands into a few producers.

      Good Luck everyone. (American and Canadian)

      Comment


        #4
        So are we going to have to age verify our cows born after March 1999? Will we be beleived?

        Comment


          #5
          Cargill and Tyson will look after that bward. Ain't going to be many cows on all fours crossing the line - just another boxed beef frenzie. I hope that Cargill sends a thank ou card over to ranchers beef for all the new help. LOL

          Comment


            #6
            Well--Kaiser-- there is one thing I'm sure of-- when the old cow boxed beef starts heading south, your buddies the Packers won't be raising the prices they pay Canadians--just lowering the prices they give in the states...

            I sold a cull cow the other day for $940--if she'd brought top price at the closest Canadian market (Assiniboia) she would have brought $627...
            So that would mean a $300 plus kick in the shorts we will have to take for this border opening....

            Comment


              #7
              Come now Oldtimer - the little bit of cow meat left over from the deceptive game being played on the consumer here in Canada by the packers and our checkoff dollar boys hand in hand, will only offset some of the other imports that are already coming in to the USA.(Whew that was a long hard to understand sentence) Let's chat again on the topic about the middle of December. We'll see who has the better crystal ball.

              Comment


                #8
                If this truly does mean breeding stock can go south, I think the biggest effect will be to ease up on some of the draconian measures used to export slaughter heifers now. No more worrying that if a heifer has an embryo the size of a peanut in her, your vet will lose export privilages, and there will be an international incident.

                That's going to be the biggest difference. Maybe that huge heifer steer spread will narrow a bit.

                We can hope.

                Comment

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