BSE Testing

[farmers_son]

I thought I made it clear that I viewed the U.S. as an important market for our live cattle, important because it provides critical competition. We have seen first hand that the packing industry within Canada will not compete with one another for our live cattle, essentially acting as a monopoly.

Certainly the marketplace is dominated by transnational corporations. I am not sure it would matter if those corporations are U.S. based or not. Some large global players are based in Europe, they all act the same. The U.S does protect it’s industries, no doubt about that.

I agree that the high dollar is not to blame. I do not see the problem as one of corporate concentration as much as U.S. protectionism.

I quickly read the NFU link. I agree with you that NAFTA is not working for primary agriculture producers. The Canada U.S. Trade Agreement as it was originally drafted provided a mechanism for free trade without political intervention. When Mexico joined the free trade agreement which then became NAFTA the wording was changed to allow political intervention. Originally CUSTA would have allowed industry to prosper wherever in the trade region it had the competitive advantage. Clearly this was unworkable for the U.S. which politically could not see industries like beef production shift to Canada which had, at that time, a more competitive cattle industry. The U.S. response to BSE and now E.Coli has very, very little to do with food safety and a whole lot to do with protecting their cattle producers.

I think the comments made about ABP and CCA miss the real problem. Where is our federal government in all of this? I bet if you asked most cattle producers they could not even tell you who our current federal agriculture minister is. I looked it up, it is Gerry Ritz but I have heard nothing from him. Who is defending our NAFTA access to the U.S. market? ABP and CCA can lobby but it is governments responsibility to protect our markets.

Check out this link to our federal ministers. These people should be doing something about Canadian cattle producer’s access to the U.S. market yet they are totally silent.

http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainCabinetCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&La nguage=E

[rkaiser]

I thought that ABP/CCA were the voice of the producer at the provincial/federal level farmer-son. If they are doing nothing - maybe our industry leadership is not asking?

I hat to keep harping on what ABP/CCA is doing wrong - I truly think that there are solutions if some of the old boys including farmer-son would not take this issue so personally and would move on. We can argue about testing until all the cows are gone if you like farmer-son, but ignoring potential marketing opportunities which could well solve at least part of our current problems is down right disgusting.

[farmers_son]

BSE testing as a marketing opportunity….

BSE testing is touted by its supporters as a means of opening export opportunities with Japan and Asia. I have pointed out earlier in this thread that Japan has changed its position re BSE testing on under 21 month animals. If Japan and Asian really wanted to buy BSE tested beef there is plenty of BSE tested beef in Europe.

[rkaiser]

Europe is a net importer of beef.

Japan is moving away from testing because of the USDA's big stick.

Korea took D1 and D2 swinging sides from Canadian companies prior to BSE.
(D1 and D2's are OTM farmer-son.)

Asian and European companies have asked for BSE tested product from Canada.

[kato]

The idea that not to test is to keep the American market open to us would be a good one if there were not so many who make their livings by throwing up barriers to Canadian cattle already. These barriers will be there, testing or not, but to be able to send tested beef would help get by some of them.

The protectionists are not going to go away.

Ever.

So what we need is to have every tool available to us to be able to market our beef wherever we can, to the highest bidder. For example, we already have the infrastructure to traceback and assure hormone free beef at EU standards, and if we could top that up with a test if requested, there is a whole other market.

We don't need to test cattle for markets that don't ask for it, and we don't have to test young cattle, but we also should have the right to use whatever tools are available to diversify our marketing. If a customer wants tested beef, then I say give it to them.

And then there's the cost of SRM disposal that keeps being tossed back at us. Don't forget that.