U.S. Halts plans to increase Cdn. Beef

[crossfield_beef]

This link was on CTV news.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060728/mad_cow_060728/20060728?
More cases of mad cow disease in Canada have halted U.S. plans for a major increase in Canadian beef and cattle imports, the U.S. Agriculture Department announced Friday.

While a flow of frustrated comments directed towards various American groups might be expected as a result of this announcement, I would take this time to wonder why no one points to the suppliers of beef feed and supplements. The one cow was only four years old.

The Canadian feedlot industry is so competitive that given the choice between safe feed and feed containing non plant protein, the industry may decide to take whatever is cheaper.

Surely the feed processors have some responsibility in this matter. Why are not the names of feed companies supplying tainted feed made public.

If Cargill Feeds or Master Feeds or whoever, had their names in the press for supplying contaminated feed to producers, maybe this type of feed would stay out of the system.

[grassfarmer]

Lots of "implied guilty" comments about feed manufacturers part in BSE in Europe too. To date no charge has ever been laid nor firm ever been prosecuted - because their is no proof. The conventional theory is based on junk science.
Why insult the Canadian feedlot sector's integrity when the frustration you are complaining about is caused by US protectionism and their packers greed?

[crossfield_beef]

I knew that I would have to defend my comments. I have a close contact who is a sales representative for one of Alberta's major feed suppliers.
He told me straight out that feedlots would feed any supplement or protein that gave them an advantage and cost less. We all know that this is true.
How many feedlots feed Urea? Most do.
Why-- because it works and it is cheaper. And it is legal.
A feed mixture could contain anything. If the feed salesman can make the sale, save the feeder money and do a good job of fattening the cattle then most likely that will be the feed that gets fed.
It is too difficult to police the feeder and cattleman. In some cases the cattleman does not even know what they are buying. I know myself, that I would always buy "natural protein" over Urea. Well in hindsight, natural protein could have been animal blood, slaughtered beef fat, pork parts, alfalfa, weed seeds,-- really anything. I did not know what I was buying. I think that the feed processors should be monitored, controlled and held accountable. Companies selling feed that could give a cow BSE should be made public and let the public decide.
BSE has cost all of us a lot of money. It does not make sense to feed a ruminant animal parts, especially beef animal parts. That is not what they were meant to eat.
Not only has there been a monitary cost to beef producers and feeders, but really, a human being could get sick if this meat ever got into stores. My message is do everything possible to keep animal parts out of any feed that could ever reach a cow. Chicken feed, pig feed--even dog food should be carefully controlled. Keep these animal parts away from cows.
Hold the feed processors accountable, and where possible the feedlots.

[jensend]

why don't we think about solutions instead of harping on the problem?? would testing all otm's at slaughter expand markets and knowledge of what the situation really is. other parts of the world have dealt with this but n. america seems intent on not learning.

[grassfarmer]

Harping on the problem seems to be the only thing producers can do jensend. It's been made clear by Government, the packer monopoly and the "wise heads" at ABP/CCA that we will not be allowed to test OTM cattle for marketing purposes. It's not so much a case of not being prepared to learn in N America as it is a case of vested interests keeping things the way they are because there is more money to be made by them in doing so.

[jensend]

i know the producers have to deal with the problem on an ongoing basis. the ones who could implement the solution are the ones i was rhetorically addressing. the cowboys at cca, abp, etc. must be living out brokeback mountain as they get bent over once again by usda and the big packers.

[ProFarmer]

I hope the manitoba cattle producers and the MCPA finally take this as a wake up call to quit bickering and stand up accept the cattle slaughtering plant at Dauphin. MCPA has done nothing for the manitoba beef farmer and works as a puppet for the packer controlled auction barns.

[mb_rancher]

Do you really think that plant at Dauphin will help things in Manitoba? Personally I feel it is a very bad location, it would work in other areas of the province.

[cowman]

Cow prices are sneaking up there, despite the border situation? Not great, but better than the last couple of years?
I wonder if there will be a big run of cows this fall as Canadian producers try to clean up all the garbage they should have sold the last three years?