What are the ramifications?

[kato]

Not to test, and have a bigger problem develop down the road is a much bigger nightmare than we are living through now. Do we want to be like the producers in England who will have a cloud over their heads for years while their consumers wait for the infamous 'incubation period' for CJD to pass? I think not.

The reason for testing is to set an idea of the level of infection for our national herd. It doesn't matter if they are alive or dead, if they were born before the feed ban, then they qualify to be tested.

We all agree that our level of BSE is microscopic in proportion, and the sooner we PROVE it, the quicker we can get over this nonsense.

[cowman]

Whether you believe the "science" of BSE or not the important thing to remember here is we do have a responsibility to the consumer? If this disease can cause Jakob Creutzfeld disease then we need to do everything in our power to insure our product is safe?
How would you feel if you sold the animal that killed somebody? Personally I'd rather lose everything I have than be responsible for someones death, through greed!
If you want to raise food you do have a responsibility and obligations to the people you sell it too? An obligation that you are selling them a safe product? And until we get some kind of an idea of just how bad this thing is and how widespread, then we need to do the testing!
If we follow the old three S approach how much better are we than the drug dealer...dealing death out on the street corner! I know that sounds dramatic, but the fact is without the testing we really don't know what we are selling?

[farmers_son]

I think I have said all I can on the issue. I am not so simple minded that I don’t know this isn’t politically correct and will close with this. The industry tells producers they need to test X number of cattle so the border will open. This is the same industry that told us we had to let in American cattle that have anaplaz and bluetongue without test so the border will open. This is the same industry that tells us the Americans are still considering the comments so border will open. If you believe that line of crap I have some ocean front property you might be interested in as an investment.

I never argued against testing just that we need to be real careful what we test. Dead and down are a real bad idea. Science or no science, if we have another positive BSE test the border will remain closed for a very long time. There is no question that the international reaction to a positive BSE test is unfair and extreme but that doesn’t change the reality. There is science and there is marketing, finding another BSE positive is real bad marketing and if you keep looking you are bound to find one. I’ve played hide and seek with my kids and looked everywhere for them without really trying that hard to find them. Of course they took great delight in finding me. We aren’t children here and it’s not too hard to learn how to look for something and not find it. The Americans are real good at it and maybe we should be too.

[farmers_son]

It is going to be interesting to see how many heads will be sent in from animals put down on the farm, and also how many 4D cows are sent to be euthanized.

[kato]

Far better to find a positive at a landfill than a packing plant if it comes to that.

It will be up to each individual to decide what to do with their animals. There will be some who want to volunteer, and some who won't. We all have to sit down and decide for ourselves.

Whatever we decide as individuals, as long as we get enough to fill the quota that's what matters.

We've got to keep some perspective here... if BSE was prevalent you would have thought that another would show up in the thousands of cattle who were associated with our Alberta cow. It didn't.

[cowman]

Well kato, how many cows has Japan got and how many cases of BSE have they found? I'm not sure of the cow numbers but I think the BSE total is up to 11? Maybe not a big number but it was less than that when it destroyed their industry? What happens when the day comes, when(and if) we find some more?
Perspective is all fine and dandy but how are we going to tell that to the consumer? When the day comes that the housewife loses confidence that she could be feeding her kids a safe product, will be the day she stops buying!
I've said it from day one...test everything...or at least everything over twenty months old? Even one case of Jakob Creutzfeld disease is unacceptable? And I don't know if BSE evens causes it, but if there is even the possibility then we should be testing? The test price has come down and we need to view it as just the cost of doing business...just like the traceable tags are a cost of doing business? Food safety has got to be a priority and not just a smoke and mirrors sort of thing?