New Orleans Refuses Canadian Beef

[farmers_son]

First, the ongoing ban on Canadian beef is a trade issue, not a food safety issue. It is acknowledged that BSE is found in both the U.S. herd and the Canadian herd, although at very, very low levels. It is further acknowledged food safety protocols are harmonized and identical on both sides of the border.

It is my opinion that R-Calf is just a convenient excuse for the Bush administrations foot dragging on resuming trade in Canadian beef. And make no mistake about it, foot dragging is what is happening. You say the USDA has a process in place to resume trade in cattle and beef. I say lets see it.

I think it was a slap in the face of Canadians and for sure Canadian beef producers when the Americans refused our food assistance. The U.S. was rude and showed poor judgment. This was not about moving Canadian beef into the U.S. at government expense. It was about Canadians offering to help Americans in their time of need and I do not think anyone on this side of the border was in the least bit worried about the expense.

The fact of the matter is that American disaster victims who could have been helped were not helped because of a totally unscientific and totally protectionist ban on importation of Canadian beef. If anything positive comes out of this I hope that pressure is finally brought to bear on the U.S. government to resume trade in beef. It seems to me that Canada is way too laid back in fighting for a normalization of beef trade with the U.S.

Let there be no doubt about it, this is not about food safety. And it is not about American bashing. What should a Canadian producer say to this? What I hear you say is how stupid of us to send food aid to flood victims that contained beef. I say how stupid of the U.S. to look in a gift horse in the mouth and how stupid of the U.S. to continue to ban Canadian beef. Not about food safety, not even a little bit.

The ongoing ban on our beef is driven by economic self interest on the part of the Americans. It is not about the safety of our beef.

I see on the news that the Canadian ships are returning home early, whether it is because of this or not I do not know.

[WoolyBear]

I Still think they should take all the supplies and go to Cuba....... or even still to Grenada. Both those countries would appreciate it too. They could even stockpile it for their next hurricane.

[cowman]

Well farmers son you say it is a trade issue, but the USDA says it is a food safety issue? And seein how they make the decisions, and not you, I guess the reality is "IT is a food safety issue"?
You obviously don't agree with that...but thats just how it is! Get used to it.
It was totally unecessary to be sending banned beef to this area? Either the person doing the shipping was ignorant of the law or was trying to do an end run around the rules?
You obviously have a real problem with the Bush administration and America in general. A lot of your speculation is just that...speculation...and is not based on facts. You use statements about the USDA hiding behind R-CALF for their own hidden agenda when in fact there is no proof of that at all.
Blaming the Americans for all our problems is not rational thinking? I believe we could point the finger right back at our own wonderful Liberal government? Who created the climate where we got BSE? Who created the situation where we are so overloaded with cattle?

[farmers_son]

How can anyone claim that a U.S. ban on Canadian beef is a food safety issue when the U.S. has BSE too?

There is no reason why a Canadian beef producer should not have real problems with the Bush administration. Our cows and OTM beef continues to be banned from the United States. And for what good reason? The U.S. has BSE too. Even though there is cause to believe the USDA has concealed a number of their BSE positives, as a result of investigative work done by the USDA Inspector General, a BSE positive test on a domestic U.S. cow did come to public attention after earlier results, even earlier positive results, had been swept under the rug. I ask you what food safety reason can possibly be behind the continued ban on our product entering the U.S. now that the U.S. has been forced to acknowledge they have BSE too and thousands upon thousands of tests clearly show the incidence of BSE is very low and comparable in both countries.

Certainly R-Calf is at the forefront of the protectionist movement. But have we all forgotten that the NCBA also supports banning our beef until U.S. trade resumes with Japan? Is that stance based on food safety or trade protectionism? How do you explain the length of time it has taken the USDA to publish a rule allowing OTM beef into the United States after OTM beef was retroactively removed from the original rule published in December 2004? Since that rule was published the U.S. has admitted to having BSE just like Canada yet there is still no announcement. What food safety concerns could possibly be behind this delay in resuming trade with Canada when it is acknowledged the safety of our product is exactly equivalent to the safety of U.S. beef. Can there be any doubt left that the continued closure of the border to Canadian beef has anything at all to do with food safety and that the border closure is not 100% based on protecting the U.S. producer from the costs of their own BSE problem, thereby passing all those costs onto Canadian producers.

So yes, you are right to say I have a problem with the Bush administration. No I do not have any problem with the American people. The flood victims in New Orleans would have been glad to receive Canada’s donation of food aid and I was glad that we sent it and that Canada was able to offer assistance.

I for one believe that if the U.S. wanted the border to be open to our beef it would be open. If you want to believe the only thing standing between Canada and free trade is R-Calf you are certainly entitled to that opinion. I think it is fair to suggest that the USDA and the Bush administration has not been as aggressive in seeing a normalization of beef and live cattle trade as they could have been. I am not blaming the Americans for all our problems, I am blaming the Bush administration for delaying the normalization of trade in beef and live cattle from Canada entering the United States.

[cowman]

farmers son: I can see you are stuck on this concept of "This is how it should be"? I'm sorry, but that isn't how the world works.
The situation we are in with the USDA is just "How it is" and we have to deal with that reality?
They hold all the cards. They are calling the shots.
They say "These are the rules of the game" and we either live with it or don't play? Doesn't matter if it is fair or not...it is their ball and they can take it home whenever they choose?
So there is our choice? Either play by their rules or quit!
You can argue it with me forever and it won't make one iota of difference! You seem to enjoy crusading against things you can't change?

[farmers_son]

Isn’t it necessary to point out injustice when we see it? Simply saying the U.S.border is closed to our OTM cows and beef, not to mention restricted trade on UTM, and that is how it is and we have to deal with that reality is kind of defeatist. Does it do any good to even mention that the U.S. refused Canadian food aid to New Orleans? Or that the U.S. is still blocking trade in our beef and cattle even though they have found BSE in their herd? Maybe it does some good, maybe not. In a democratic country we tend to believe that change can happen and pressure can be brought to bear to correct wrongs when they occur if enough people point out injustice when they see it.

I believe there are Americans who are fair minded people. Phyllis Fong, USDA Inspector General, comes to mind. And much of the general population in the U.S. is made up of good honest hard working people who want to see the right thing done. However often they are not even aware of how their government deals with other countries, even American friends like Canada. I believe most American citizens would be embarrassed, even angry, to know their government turned away Canadian food aid intended for New Orleans flood victims. They, for the most part, will probably never know. But unless things like this are pointed out how can anyone ever know and nothing ever will get better. An informed population is the very foundation of democracy.

You are very right when you say I can argue with you forever and it won’t change your mind. However I do notice you are not the R-Calf supporter you once were so there is always that slim chance. I tend to think that the discussion of the issue in this forum is noted by people on both sides of the border who are in a position to see change happen.

[cowman]

Farmers son: You should go into politics! You could probably argue those darned Frenchmen into submission!
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

[cowman]

Just a question regarding the Canadian aid for Katrina. I have been watching both CNN and Fox TV and really haven't heard much in the way of reporting on any of our relief efforts.

[farmers_son]

I was talking with relatives in the U.S. a few days ago who mentioned they saw quite a bit on TV about Canadian aid. Bush made a speech praising Canada's contribution. Air Canada did some high profile mercy flights which made the news. One Canadian team arrived to help even before the U.S. military.

Sorry cowman, the remark about R-Calf did not come out right.

[farmers_son]

I know we help in disasters because it is the right thing to do, but it is nice that we are being acknowledged.