Bluetongue

[blackjack]

Speller announced today the lifting of the ban on bluetongue and anaplasmosis disease. Maybe the border will open sooner than expected.

[k-way]

Typical response. We give the US everything they want for the promise of a few crumbs that MAY come our way! The only way we are ever get to a near-level playing field with the states is to stop giving in to their bullying tactics all the time. This is so just like the lumber industry!

[cakadu]

I can't believe they did it. Who honestly thinks that by not requiring the tests that the border will open that much sooner? If you do, then I've got a deal for you!!!!

Who is calling the shots on this - a few of the feedlots who want access to cattle year round. What are the implications of this for Canadian producers with animals to sell to the feedlots?

What is going to happen to the purebred industries of not only beef cattle, but dairy cattle and most importantly from where I stand - the sheep industry? Once these diseases are reported here, then the export markets for germ plasm become that much more limited - if you can export at all.

What about the wild populations of bighorn sheep and goats, who could potentially be affected by all of this?

Once again the few get to dictate what happens for the masses. I am totally incredulous that this happened.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. What good could possibly come from letting in diseases that up until now, we have not had?

What are these people thinking?

[wbrower]

Maybe you need to stop and think for a minute. If you would like to see the US border open to trade in canadian cattle then getting rid of these phoney blue tongue regulations is a good start.

On the other hand maybe you don't need access to the US market to prosper.

[cakadu]

What is phoney about keeping diseases that we don't have out of the country?

Do we not have enough to contend with already?

Does the livestock industry need this added grief to prosper? If we do, then we are well and truly in sad shape.

[boone]

wbrower: Could you explain to the rest of the world, what is the attraction of being forever on your knees? If you pander any more on this site I'm gonna drop a nickel in your hairy little palm.

[cakadu]

How do you see allowing this to happen as a stepping stone to resuming the trade in Canadian cattle? I am curious to understand where you are coming from, wbrower.

[kato]

As they say on Star Trek...resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

[kato]

Oh...Oh...I feel a rant coming on.

Isn't that our life? We spend all our time watching over our shoulders for the next hit.

Giving in on this thing isn't going to help us one little bit. Testing is NOT restricting trade. I don't know why we have no right to protect our industry. Are we second class citizens? Or are we not citizens at all.

Conspiracy theorists..sharpen your pencils.

Packer Dream Come True

-One mad cow.
-Border is closed...good.
-Quietly, through your American head office, lobby for keeping the border closed.
-Pick up lots of good fats for 30 cents.
-Keep subsidy for yourself.
-Kill only your own cattle while the subsidy is on.
-Terrorize big feedlots into not complaining.
-Ship thousands of tons of boxed beef, bought for next to nothing into hottest American market ever.
-Have minions down south pressure the US governement into using bluetongue as a bargaining tool to open border.
-Get rules dropped.
-Don't open border yet..there are still some Canadians standing.
-Wait till five minutes before collapse of Canadian feeding infrastructure.
-Open border
-Now approach bankrupt feedlots with big custom feeding orders from down south. Don't worry, they have no choice but to accept.
-Winner! You got it all. You may never have to buy another fat steer again.

Now, I wonder what kind of a year I had to cause such cynicism?

They may not have planned it, but I bet they are enjoying it.

[amazed]

U.S. feeder cattle from 39 states considered to have a low incidence
of bluetongue will be able to enter Canada directly without testing.

Feeder cattle from the remaining 11 states, which are considered to have a high incidence of bluetongue, are also not required to be tested, provided they reside for at least 60 days prior to import in a low incidence state. Testing, however is still an option and should the feeder cattle be found free of bluetongue, the 60-day period will be waived.

Historically, these high incidence states, all of which are southern, have not exported significant numbers of feeder cattle to Canada. Canada's classification of bluetongue incidence is based on disease surveillance data provided by the United Sates Department of Agriculture (USDA).


APPENDIX 1
U.S. States Designated High Incidence for Bluetongue
----------------------------------------------------
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- South Carolina
- Texas

[cakadu]

Okay, now let me get this straight, we are going to potentially wreak havoc in our own country because the high incidence states in the U.S. don't export much to this country. Seems to me all it takes is ONE to create problems.

If I also understand it correctly, when the vectors are in place, nothing gets shipped because the probability that something might happen is greater, so nothing moves. This is nothing new as we have been dealing with vectors for years now.

Because we have been working within the science for the last number of years - 5 is the number that I heard, we are now going to throw out even the vectors so that we can play "roulette"?

I guess it shouldn't come as any surprise. We were willing to let fusarium come into the province and not think twice about what that could potentially do to the malting barley industry, so why should we worry about this?

Any guesses as to how long the border going south remains padlocked to live Canadian cattle?

[cowman]

I suspect the "fix" was in on this one from day one. This was probably one of those back room deals. If that is the price to open the US border then what can you do?
Consider Bob Spellers dilemma? The CCA and ABP were 100% behind this and they supposedly represent the "cattle industry" and are the groups he hears from. I don't think any of the breed associations had much to say against it or at least I never heard anything out of them? And I assume they would be very concerned if it threatened their exports?
I sometimes think we need a R-calf type organization up here to look out for the cow/calf sector! I know R-calf is a dirty word to most Canadian beef farmers but in reality they are the American cow/calf mans voice?

[rsomer]

cowman: I was thinking the same after I read the news on bluetongue. Cow calf producers do need a well funded organization that represents their interests.
The feedlot sector has the Alberta Cattle Feeders which has successfully worked to further their interests to the point where the feedlots have dramatically increased their influence with government. Now the ACF has special representation within ABP and delegates and directors in ABP that further only the feedlot interest. It really has worked well for them.
The beef industry is way more political than any of us would like to think and cow calf producers need to invest the time and dollars in an organization, and dare I say it, like R-Calf that speaks for the interests of the cow calf sector.

[amazed]

Does anyone else have a better answer for getting the border open? Those new Canadian plants are a long ways off.

I would be interested in someone explaining how we will hang on until then without the US border opening to Canadian live cattle.

[cowman]

Amazed: Nope! I guess that is the deal, or at least I sure hope so! If we sold our selves out for nothing we're going to look pretty stupid!
Now I'm looking at this from a pretty personal viewpoint as I intend to leave the industry fairly soon. I don't know if I'd feel the same way if I intended to stay in for several years. So for me it works for others it might not.