Ag Minister on the move - Horay

[cakadu]

>:-) Playing devil's advocate here - on what basis are we going to "certify BSE free"? What science are we going to base it on? There have been all kinds of posts to the various threads about the validity, completeness and reliability of the science and how reliable it is depending on which side of the 49th parallel one is sitting on.

I am not against the testing at all. I wonder who will foot the bill, what will become acceptable and what we will do if there are more cases of it found. It seems to me that we have to be prepared to deal with both the good and the bad of the testing.

[les]

The story on the news tonight was Cline wants to go on its own and test every animal and label it ALBERTA BEEF and he said it would cost about 900,000 a year.It sounded like he was pickin up the tab. This sounds good to me.

[les]

oops...Last thread should read Cline wants Alberta to go on its own

[ALICIA]

Test every animal. Pass test goes to Japan, Fall test goes in garbage and on to the next cow. End of problem. KNOW longer a heath food issue because all animals going for food has passed a negitive test results.
And know cross cantamination because equipment is stearlized after each cut on different animal.

[cowman]

I don't believe any cows are being killed in federally inspected plants in Alberta right now? I think Xcel was killing them in Calgary until they opened up the border to muscle cuts? Maybe the same with IBP in Brooks?
I think the plant in MooseJaw is the only cow plant right now?
I suspect Ralph was probably just floating a balloon to let the Americans know we do have options? I see Clay Serby and the Man. ag minister immediately ripped Ralph...guess they are afraid they might have to follow if Ralph leads?
I do believe COOL will be tough in the short term but will force us to do things that will ultimately be very good for us. Keep some of the "value adding" in this country? Force us to build some more packing houses?(Hopefully not American owned)
I do believe the label "Canadian Beef Certified BSE free" is a good thing!

[rsomer]

On COOL, South Korea tried to label it’s domestic beef in 2001 as Product of Korea and the U.S. successfully challenged it before the WTO and won. Mandatory COOL would not survive a WTO challenge either. However, the U.S. may move to voluntary COOL which would not be open to WTO trade sanctions. U.S. producers should know COOL would have a big downside when U.S. food problems come to media attention. How many times can the U.S. BS the world into believing its BSE positive cows come from Canada. Given the problems with the U.S. feed ban and the fact that their BSE positive made it into the food chain, I don’t think the U.S. can walk the talk when it comes to food safety and BSE.

I think Canadian beef is government certified BSE free right now.

[pandiana]

Alicia and cowmen. Did I miss something regarding the last BSE case. The information I had was that she was 6.5 years old and had been in the US 2.5 years which would have made her 4 years old when she left Canada. Plenty of time to be fed Canadian feed. Also, she would have been in production, receiving the high protein/energy supplements that most dairy cattle 'worldwide' receive in order to sustain the incredible level of milk production that holsteins are capable of and is expected to remain competitive.

I wonder how many beef cows receive this type of supplement? I am still waiting to hear what form this rendered supplement took and who bought it and did we, without knowing, feed it to our cows, in pellets or whatever. I would never have knowingly fed anything like this to my cattle. Nonetheless, we are at the mercy of the companies that supply us. As operations get larger, and in an effort to become more efficient, it would seem that processed feeds would have more appeal. Just the sort of trend we see in our own kitchens with many quick packaged meals ready for the table in 10 to 15 minutes. Who knows what is in these?

[ValueChainFX]

Anyone that feels they haven't eaten SRM's has never had a T bone, Rib, chuck (bone in) or sirloin (bone in) steak! Each of these cuts has the backbone on it.

The science we rely on is the accepted science of our customers! As in the recognized tests for this challenge. The possibility that the challenge is something other than what the science says at this point is really mute to the end user! They want the preception the product is safe. If we go beyond the requirements, let our competition catch up. Who will pay for this? As if we all aren't paying already! If you have $2.00 left (sorry pandiana) and you think you are going to pay and don't want to; Ask yourself howlong the $2.00 will last if we do nothing? As far as COOL goes, why wait for down south to tell us what to do! Florida advertises Canadian beef because the customer wants to buy Canadian beef, as do others in the US!

Let's face it! We all knew some day a challenge like this would come to Canada, and chances are other challenges like this will come as well! Any labs that do go up will be well used for BSE or some other food safe issue! I would rather see the primary producer lead than being dragged behind the mob! Images such as that do not do the REAL grass roots primary producers justice!

[cowman]

Pandianna: I don't know, thats just what Neil Janke said on Rutherford! I mean he's president of the CCA so I figured that was how it was. The Washington cow could have only been fed the contaminated feed for 4 months before the ban came into effect. The supposed feed mill had pretty decent records and the owner claimed he'd complied with the law after the ban came in, in 1997.
Value Chain: You've got it right! Apparently a poll done for the radio station in Calgary that carries the Rutherford show, shows that 87% of those polled think ALL cattle being slaughtered should be tested. Old Ralph has a pretty good idea what the public wants.

[ALICIA]

Pandiana: These are the discuripions that I have heard on the BSE cow in the U.S. You pick the one you like and go with it.
1. Holstein
2. Holstein 4yrs old
3.Holstein 6.5 yrs old
4.Holstein Downer, calving complications
5. Holstein born in Canada, one of 74 head in a Alberta Dispersal Sale.
6. Holstein born in Canada, Shiped to Canada at 4 months old.
7. Holstein's heifer calf in still in Washington dairy herd of 4000 cattle.
8. Holstein one of 3 downer cattle killed that day.
9. Holstein's bull calf is in with 450 other bull calf so they are going to kill all bull calfs.
10. Heifer calf is now a bull calf. ( sex change I guess)
11. Cow is jumping from 1st. time heifer to 4.5 yrs old.
12. Have you picked the right cow .
13. I have not.