BSE tests?

[cowman]

How much does it add to the cost to do the BSE test? Japan has said we will only take your cattle if they have an individual test. So if we do the test I assume that means we would definitely have the safest meat in the world!
What could the Americans do then? I mean they would have no more phony excuses right? And maybe we would knock their socks off in the international marketplace...after all they wouldn't have a test certificate!
I saw something in one of the farm papers about a quicker and cheaper test coming down the road. The only thing holding it up was a lack of research funding! So where is our government? No money left after blowing it on all their other foolish schemes? Or is it because they are too busy fussing about some fruitcakes wanting to get married or how they can get Canadians to accept dope smoking!

[Muttley]

If some of those dope smoking fruitcakes owned cattle we would be over this whole BSE thing by now!!!!!

[kato]

You would think that if a test was to be done in the volume that this would be, that it would get cheaper.

I think the government missed a golden opportunity by instantly dismissing the the wholesale testing of cows. Even if they thought it would cost too much, they should have at least looked interested in it.

What would happen next, if the Americans suddenly realized we were entertaining the thought of testing all cows? They would say, "Wait a minute, if they test all their cows, then the Japanese and others are going to prefer Canadian beef over American, because it is assured to be free of BSE." Things would get moving pretty quickly, I would think. Nothing like the potential loss of markets to make things move. It would be a big loss, too.

[ValueChainFX]

There is a BSE test that has been approved in the EU. (We are trying to find out why it hasn't been approved in Canada so far). We are trying to get a direct cost on each animal, but have not arrived at this cost yet.

I personally don't care if Canada wants to test one out of ten or one out of fifty or one out of a thousand! Let them fill their boots! I am more concerned with what our customers want.

I am a little confussed about our government at the moment since they tell us all they are working hard to make something happen, they will only pay for research or education or studies ..... well ... here is something the industry really needs where are the government boys now????

Anyway I shouldn't pick on them too much since they get their feelings hurt so easy these days!

[cowman]

Well you know that Shirley McClellan came out and said testing each animal isn't good science, so there it is! No need, don't you see. Her idea is we must get the Japs to see the folly of their ways! She obviously doesn't believe the old saying about the customer is always right!
Now I think the japanese test all their animals so wouldn't it make sense to only allow in meat that has been tested? Canadian meat, US meat, Australian meat?
And if that is what the market demands then you either do it or get out. As long as everybody has to play by the rules. In fact it would even be a good selling point here. Right on the package it could state that this beef is certified BSE free! Now your average consumer might just think this is a good thing and insist that the kangaroo meat from Australia and New Zealand be certified BSE free too? And maybe it might wake the US up when they can't sell their high priced cuts into the Toronto market?
I'm starting to think we should insist on the industry doing a BSE test. After all who wants to get human BSE? I guess it sort of turns you into an idiot and you can't talk properly...Hey! Has anyone checked out old Jean Chretien for BSE???

[ValueChainFX]

cowman .... now you're talkin!!!! I was talking to the government guy the other day and he told me I was radical ... go figure me radical!!!! Because I wanted to give the customer what they wanted.

We are just trying to cut a deal with the group that is doing the tests in the EU at the moment. I guess the government thinks is better science to take the backbones out of every animal 30 months old and older in the plants.

If anyone has been in these plants they would know and understand why we want product out of those health hazards as fast as we can.

This is such a challenge for us. (The health hazard) Since they try to tell me they are food safe establishments and they have professional inspectors there watching as the plant is in operation. All I can say is shame on them, if they would shut their mouths and open their ears they would hear two things! First they need to upgrade the food safety standards, and second our customers (domestic and global) want them to make the plants safe!

The so-called government experts should step back a little and at least help those that are working in that direction. Instead they want to study the situation (again).
cowman .... now you're talkin!!!! I was talking to the government guy the other day and he told me I was radical ... go figure me radical!!!! Because I wanted to give the customer what they wanted.

We are just trying to cut a deal with the group that is doing the tests in the EU at the moment. I guess the government thinks is better science to take the backbones out of every animal 30 months old and older in the plants.

If anyone has been in these plants they would know and understand why we want product out of those health hazards as fast as we can.

This is such a challenge for us. (The health hazard) Since they try to tell me they are food safe establishments and they have professional inspectors there watching as the plant is in operation. All I can say is shame on them, if they would shut their mouths and open their ears they would hear two things! First they need to upgrade the food safety standards, and second our customers (domestic and global) want them to make the plants safe!

The so-called government experts should step back a little and at least help those that are working in that direction. Instead they want to study the situation (again).

[cowman]

Well valuechain you just might be radical in that you are saying something that just might make sense!
Governments aren't really into things that make sense!
I suspect if Canada came out with a mandatory BSE test for every slaughter animal it might really throw a monkey wrench into the US system! I mean all those big cow thief outfits like IBP, Cargill, Conagra might actually have to do a decent job for a change!
And the US couldn't just keep saying they have the best and safest product in the world because now there would actual proof that Canadas beef is BSE free!
Just think about it! Every Canadian steak in the meat section of a US grocery store labelled Canadian beef certified BSE free! Then the US product with no certification! Some timely ads/smear campaigns in some US papers and pretty soon we own their market! Free enterprize at its best? Beat them at their own game?

[pandiana]

Who will pay? The last figure I heard was $100.00 per test. There is not that much money in a single animal at any level of production.

[15444]

The quote coming from the Ontario Cattlemen's Assocation was $90.00 a head for BSE testing. Now at the beginning, of course cattle prices would slump for the added expense, but once Canada started exporting again and picked up in it's markets, why wouldn't people, like cowman said, want to eat certified-free of BSE beef? In that case, consumption of Canadian product should go up in our export markets and a higher demand should raise live prices and recoup our losses on the tests after a few months. This is the stance our industry groups should be heading for in the current situation! Shame on CCA and the provincial associations for having sitting back with their feet on the table, just whining!

[kato]

Do more tests, price comes down. The current prices are based on the number of tests done in a year as of now. Volume makes a huge difference. If you call a lab, and ask for a quote on 5 thousand tests, you'd find the price was a lot different.

The competition factor kicks in too. Don't underestimate that.