Things are really rolling now. Two great meetings with less resistance and more great ideas.
More and more ABP reps are understanding the concept of allowing for testing; not testing all slaughtered animals. All except David Andrews,past president of the CCA, who wrote another uninformed article in the western producer. ABP even set up a commitee to investigate mandatory testing for potential markets.
It sounds like the next roadblock to overcome is the CFIA. We beleive that it is not even in their mandate to limit testing, but rather to simply protect the health of Canadians concerning food safety. Testing beef for BSE should therefore be none of their business. Focus will be on the new government to look into the workings of the CFIA, and to personally present the CFIA with some understanding of the scope of this situation.
Somewhat hard to hold back some of the more radical notions coming out of these meeting, what with all the personal suffering and emotion, however we are feeling a small glimmer of hope, albeit (and I agree rsomer) longer term hope, when the meetings end.
The best chance we have of any short term solution with this testing approach is to make enough noise that the American throw us another scrap in the way of more product or some live cattle heading south.
The gang is off to Prince Albert and Saskatoon, followed by Medicine Hat and Swift Current. I will put the dates and times up later today when our newly appointed Executive Assistant emails them to me. I think it will be nice WHEN the ABP jumps on board with this and helps us out. IT WILL HAPPEN. They have the administration and financial backing to speed things up etc. etc.
Should be a website up and running within days for BIG C. Will post the site as soon as I hear.
Basically no opposition from anyone who has no need to be defensive of past decisions. I applaud everyone on Agri-ville for their hard work and dedication to finding solutions to the mess.
Later
Randy Kaiser
(403) 946 - 0228
More and more ABP reps are understanding the concept of allowing for testing; not testing all slaughtered animals. All except David Andrews,past president of the CCA, who wrote another uninformed article in the western producer. ABP even set up a commitee to investigate mandatory testing for potential markets.
It sounds like the next roadblock to overcome is the CFIA. We beleive that it is not even in their mandate to limit testing, but rather to simply protect the health of Canadians concerning food safety. Testing beef for BSE should therefore be none of their business. Focus will be on the new government to look into the workings of the CFIA, and to personally present the CFIA with some understanding of the scope of this situation.
Somewhat hard to hold back some of the more radical notions coming out of these meeting, what with all the personal suffering and emotion, however we are feeling a small glimmer of hope, albeit (and I agree rsomer) longer term hope, when the meetings end.
The best chance we have of any short term solution with this testing approach is to make enough noise that the American throw us another scrap in the way of more product or some live cattle heading south.
The gang is off to Prince Albert and Saskatoon, followed by Medicine Hat and Swift Current. I will put the dates and times up later today when our newly appointed Executive Assistant emails them to me. I think it will be nice WHEN the ABP jumps on board with this and helps us out. IT WILL HAPPEN. They have the administration and financial backing to speed things up etc. etc.
Should be a website up and running within days for BIG C. Will post the site as soon as I hear.
Basically no opposition from anyone who has no need to be defensive of past decisions. I applaud everyone on Agri-ville for their hard work and dedication to finding solutions to the mess.
Later
Randy Kaiser
(403) 946 - 0228
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