Possible Mad Cow Case In USA

[crossfield_beef]

The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday that a new case of mad cow disease may have been found in the United States.
http://www.cbc.ca
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/11/18/mad-cow-usa-041118.html

Irregardless of the outcome of further testing, this will have negative effects on prices in the short term.

[grassfarmer]

Possibly so, but my guess is that it will turn up either negative and American or positive and of Canadian origin.

[15444]

Wow, amazing grassfarmer! I just had the same premonition! Isn't it weird how Canadian minds think alike?

[kato]

Don't forget the border has been closed long enough now that a Canadian tag will be harder to find.

If it turns out to be a positive Canadian cow, I'm calling Fox Mulder.

[jensend]

kind of like last december, rules about ready, anticipation of border opening and voila - a positive; might need more time to reevaluate the situation vis a vis importation of live cattle from canada. this cow doesn't even have to be canadian to delay opening the border again.

[jensend]

this will cause at least some disruption so maybe our 'leadership' will take a page from big-c's book and feel some urgency to get on with more slaughter capacity and an independent trade and testing policy.

[tojo]

Whether American or Canadian, it IS STILL North American.....Not good news for any of us!!!!! Hope and pray it's negative or we're all going to take a tumble.... only difference is... the farmers in the USA havn't endured the past two years like we on this side of the border have. They still have lots of equity.... and on and on it goes .... packing plants have learned here in Canada how to profit from the disease...sad point is that farmers there(just like us here) are going to have to bite the bullet. Maybe the US government will have more guts then ours and be able to rein the packers in and hold them down to just a modest profit. Their windfalls here have been enormous.

[whiteface]

I sincerely hope it is negative as well for all our sakes but I will say I feel the timing is irritatingly suspicious and likely anticipated by many. Election done, progress being made, rules ready for review...
Yeah, we've been here before. Don't kid yourself Kato, if they need a tag, they'll find one, kind of like if someone important enough needs a kidney, you'll wake up one morning with a big 'ol scar on your side. I'm not trying to start a fight, I just hope there isn't a pattern developing here. We were almost starting to like each other again, we don't need more of this s***
I as well am concerned there are alterior motives at work here but will bite my tongue until the tests are final. Good luck all!

[cakadu]

News like this isn't good for any livestock producer, be it beef, lamb, bison etc.

As finding a positive would have a much more negative impact on the Americans ability to finalize the rules for resumption of export to Japan, I wouldn't be at all surprised to have it just be a false alarm - ala when the Japanese contingent were in the U.S. during the summer.

The cynicism is bound to come out here and like many of the rest of you, if it is positive I wouldn't doubt that it somehow becomes of Canadian origin - yet again.

I think the most important thing we can do is to keep focused on building the packing capacity here and look for markets other than shipping live cattle to the US. It seems to me that it is the only way that the cattle industry is going to sustain itself over the long term. The open US border will help in the long run, but it will not help in the long term for economic sustainability.

We keep hearing about survival of the beef producer, which is paramount, but don't all producers want to do more than just survive?

[boone]

Post: Speaking of mad cows, did you see Mr. Martin had to put down old bossy Carolyn Parrish today!

[nerves]

would also like to add that Veneman resigned a few days ago to me it looks like somebody knows something. What about Japan they are just starting to talk trade maybe we can get a leg up on this situation after all.

[Cedar]

Speaking of Japan...did you guys see the movie "The Last Samurai"? In the special features (or whatever they call that), there was mention of the Japanese, who live a life chock-full of traditions, etc., being major camera-freaks, going back right to the original invention of the camera, several generations. (Ok, I know I'm sounding off-topic here, just hang in there!) As well, there was an article in the (I think) Western Producer sometime last summer, I believe, regarding their view of Canada as being "clean and pristine", something to do with Saskatoon berry sales, if memory serves. Now, let's team up these facts with the effect they (the consuming public in Japan) had on their government when they had their BSE outbreak (as I understand it, they pretty much "ruled", and that resulted in the extensive BSE testing). So..if we could show them our industry in pictures and win them over....?!?!?!?!

OK, this may be a relatively insignificant thought...or...maybe not...would it be of any use in aiding beef sales to Japan if a bunch of us got together and posted pictures of our industry here (clean and pristine, pasture shots, etc.), along with other bse related info, on a website, all the Canadian cattle industry and bse info and links to this info (safety measures, our trace back system versus the U.S. system, etc.), all in one big site on the 'net, with a special emphasis on the pictures? I mean, the "up front" pages would be heavily laiden with cattle pictures, and "fancied up" real nice, and lots of links to industry info...hmmm...perhaps even some links to some of these sites that explain the "real situation" in the U.S.? Oooops...we're an integrated market ..... we wouldn't want to do anything that dumb now...would we???!!!??? Hmmm...or..would we?

Hmmm...ran into a sound clip on the cbc website...a reporter talking to an ncba rep who basically states that their cattle farmers are a bunch of dorks who wouldn't be able to handle any sort of a traceback system and they would probably just wind up with a big mess...ok...so that's their problem! It also sounds like we might be having to do more paperwork in the future, but he makes it sound like we can handle it no problem!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/madcow/
then click on
" On The World at Six, David Horth reports on how cattle are tracked in Canada, Europe and the United States. (June 4, 2003 Runs 4:34) "

OK, I'm done.....I think! (Glad to get that thought off my chest...it's been rattlin' around in my brain so long it's causing all sorts of problems up there....;-)! )

[farmers_son]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/041118/w111878.html

Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell called U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Venemen on Thursday afternoon and was told by her there is no suggestion of link with Canada.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Agriculture Department issued a statement that said the final draft rule on Canadian cattle was nearly finished and would "soon be submitted for clearance."

Stan Eby, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, said any new case shouldn't derail progress.

"There is no need for it to affect trade as we see it today or in the future," Eby said.

"I see no reason for it to have an effect on present negotiations."

U.S. experts said it shouldn't matter where the animal was born.

[pandiana]

I thought I heard at least twice that this was once again a Washington cow. Then suddenly, no information on location of cow was heard in subsequent newscasts. Was I hearing things?

[cakadu]

If you heard some of the same things that I did, then yes, they did mention that the cow was in Washington state.

Haven't really heard too much of the news today though.