CALGARY, Jun 18, 2004 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- Live Canadian cattle could be moving into the United States as early as mid-August, federal Agriculture Minister Bob Speller said Friday.
But cattle producers were skeptical after seeing hopes repeatedly dashed in the 13 months since an Alberta cow tested positive for mad cow disease. Speller said his officials have told him it's only a matter of weeks before a new rule change is approved and cattle under 30 months can be sent across the American border.
"Either the middle of August or end of August, but we believe it will be before the fall," Speller said from his constituency office in Simcoe, Ont.
His scenario was flatly rejected by feedlot operator Rick Paskal, who was in Washington earlier this week with other cattle producers meeting with senior officials in the U.S. agriculture and trade departments.
"What Mr. Speller is saying is absolutely not true," said Paskal, whose southern Alberta feedlots are sitting two-thirds empty.
"We have absolutely no reason to feel that this border will open even this year," he said. "We met with the person who talks to the president on a weekly basis on this. There's no way in the world this is going to happen."
Live Canadian cattle have been banned from international markets since a northern Alberta cow tested positive in May 2003 for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE.
Some boneless beef cuts have been allowed into the U.S. since September, but trade in live animals is the core of the industry.
Producers and farming communities across Canada have lost billions and rallies have been held across the country to showcase their plight.
One such rally in Ponoka in central Alberta on Friday attracted between 200 and 300 farmers and truckers, whose livelihood has also been affected by the border closure.
As the drivers of half a dozen empty cattle liners sounded their horns in sympathy with producers, speaker after speaker outlined the devastation the rural community has experienced.
There was a growing sense, however, that producers have run out of patience - and money - waiting for the border to open and no longer wish to focus on that. Instead, there is more talk of investing in their own slaughter facilities, retail outlets and even restaurants.
U.S. officials are assessing public comments that were solicited by the government on rules that would allow Canadian cattle back into the United States, but there is no set time frame for when that might be completed, said American agriculture spokesman Ed Loyd.
Rick Casson, the Conservative party's agriculture critic, was surprised by Speller's timeline.
"Has he got something positive from the USDA that nobody else knows about?" asked Casson from his riding in Lethbridge, Alta., the heart of cattle country.
"The producers in this country should know that, because right now the desperation in this industry is at the highest level it's been since the BSE crisis started," said Casson.
"If Bob Speller has the goods, he should be coming clean. If he's just absolutely, completely politically speculating, then that is a real problem."
BSE and agriculture have received little attention during the federal election campaign. Speller said opening the border is too important to be a partisan issue.
But cattle producers were skeptical after seeing hopes repeatedly dashed in the 13 months since an Alberta cow tested positive for mad cow disease. Speller said his officials have told him it's only a matter of weeks before a new rule change is approved and cattle under 30 months can be sent across the American border.
"Either the middle of August or end of August, but we believe it will be before the fall," Speller said from his constituency office in Simcoe, Ont.
His scenario was flatly rejected by feedlot operator Rick Paskal, who was in Washington earlier this week with other cattle producers meeting with senior officials in the U.S. agriculture and trade departments.
"What Mr. Speller is saying is absolutely not true," said Paskal, whose southern Alberta feedlots are sitting two-thirds empty.
"We have absolutely no reason to feel that this border will open even this year," he said. "We met with the person who talks to the president on a weekly basis on this. There's no way in the world this is going to happen."
Live Canadian cattle have been banned from international markets since a northern Alberta cow tested positive in May 2003 for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE.
Some boneless beef cuts have been allowed into the U.S. since September, but trade in live animals is the core of the industry.
Producers and farming communities across Canada have lost billions and rallies have been held across the country to showcase their plight.
One such rally in Ponoka in central Alberta on Friday attracted between 200 and 300 farmers and truckers, whose livelihood has also been affected by the border closure.
As the drivers of half a dozen empty cattle liners sounded their horns in sympathy with producers, speaker after speaker outlined the devastation the rural community has experienced.
There was a growing sense, however, that producers have run out of patience - and money - waiting for the border to open and no longer wish to focus on that. Instead, there is more talk of investing in their own slaughter facilities, retail outlets and even restaurants.
U.S. officials are assessing public comments that were solicited by the government on rules that would allow Canadian cattle back into the United States, but there is no set time frame for when that might be completed, said American agriculture spokesman Ed Loyd.
Rick Casson, the Conservative party's agriculture critic, was surprised by Speller's timeline.
"Has he got something positive from the USDA that nobody else knows about?" asked Casson from his riding in Lethbridge, Alta., the heart of cattle country.
"The producers in this country should know that, because right now the desperation in this industry is at the highest level it's been since the BSE crisis started," said Casson.
"If Bob Speller has the goods, he should be coming clean. If he's just absolutely, completely politically speculating, then that is a real problem."
BSE and agriculture have received little attention during the federal election campaign. Speller said opening the border is too important to be a partisan issue.
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