BSE testing poll, PRO testing

[Ron]

just curious, as producers, big or small, 1 post each. If you have comments please post them separately.

Should we test 100% of animals for BSE?
Yes or No only. Keeps the math easier.

Thanks

[cowman]

From day one I said test them all. Guarantee a safe product?
Sure it is mostly public relations BS, but so what? If it sells our beef who cares! Just another cost of doing business.
We're getting pretty close to a live urine/blood test? I suspect when it becomes available you will see individuals selling their cattle as "tested"?
I do realize the US industry does not want this to become a reality. They are still busy dithering about a mandatory ID system...R-CALF being one of the leading voices against it! They need to get up to speed with the rest of the world?

[FRENCHMAN]

cowman i think you are right test them all with the new live tests that are becomingavailable.By all I mean the entire cow herd. A huge undertaking.

[Willowcreek]

I think to test all is the only way for Canada to get out from under the grey shadow of doubt that will be hanging over the industry for years...CFIA says it will take at least 10 years before they can even expect to now quit finding positives..And I think thats being overly optomistic..

Not sure if you can wait until the live test is developed- as it may take years before USDA will recognize it- or allow meat to be marketed as tested- and since CFIA and USDA are tied at the hips and unless USDA says its OK, CFIA probably will not allow it..

[grassfarmer]

What nonsense willocreek, the UK had 28 cases of BSE in born after the (tightened)feedban cattle in 2005 and have had 15 already in 2006 yet they have resumed exporting OTM cattle to mainland Europe this summer after a 10 year break. Once the public and the media forget about BSE it becomes the non-issue it always should have been. Let's face it you are millions of times more likely to be killed driving to McDonalds for a burger than eating the burger - EVEN IF WE WERE NOT TAKING ANY OF THE PRECAUTIONS WE ARE - given the offal removal procedures and tight BSE surveillence in Canada there is no issue. Move on.

[Willowcreek]

As long as Canadian beef is being shipped to the US and labeled with a USDA stamp and passed off as a US product, it will be an issue, and will not die...Each new reported case will be on the front pages of each US consumer newsletter and publication..

I can almost guarantee you that. There are many that will continue to fight the current fraud being perpetrated on consumers...

Montanas COOL law goes into effect next month and will be an eye opener, not only for some Montana residents but I hope for many of the summer vacationers and yearly tourists- all of whom think they have had no worry of ever eating beef from Canada....

[FRENCHMAN]

Considering the flaws in the U.S testing program, you need to pull your head out of the sand Willowcreek/Ot.
We have the same problem.The same diease exists in both countries.

[Willowcreek]

When the first case of vCJD shows up in North America- which country will all the fingers point at for where the infection came from? The country they read about for years with the new found cases- Canada... Knowing how a lot of bureaucrats and politicians work, I look for many in the US government to do the same..Easier to pass the blame to another country than accept they made domestic mistakes....

Nope I think testing all for a period of time may be Canada's only way out.

[jensend]

willowcreek: When the first case of vCJD shows up in North America- which country will all the fingers point at for where the infection came from?

considering that the us produces what 80% of n. am. beef i'd say they'll start digging pretty hard into the american beef industry. you've done your best to not find it but that is becoming more apparent to american consumer groups and they will pressure for more testing down there. you still haven't proven bse didn't come to canada from your side of the line. lots of feed supplements imported to canada from the usa and our feedban has always had more loopholes and enforcement only by paperwork without sampling. how many thousand tons are under recall down there right now?

[Willowcreek]

jensend "considering that the us produces what 80% of n. am. beef i'd say they'll start digging pretty hard into the american beef industry."

But 80% of the press releases about BSE have had Canadian tied to them....

And since the USDA and the ruling administration says the US "has virtually no BSE"- they will immediately point to the north...

Only time will tell- but I think Canada is being set up to be the scapegoat....

[coppertop]

Willowcreek do you honestly think that the rest of the world believes everything that a government agency in the US says ?????????? Obviously you haven't been paying attention to public opinion about your country.

[Willowcreek]

But coppertop- The Canadian cattle industry is not doing or set up to do much business with the rest of the world-- most of it relys on the product going thru the US, receiving a USDA inspected label, and being passed off as US beef....

[jensend]

wc: Only time will tell- but I think Canada is being set up to be the scapegoat....


i think you're right there. i hope cca, cfia and abp will wake up in time to demand more testing and set a higher standard than the us so that if the crap hits the fan we have a system with enough credibility to withstand the train wreck that will follow. what you have to consider is that even if canada is set up to take the fall there will be more demands for credible testing in the us and that is when it will get real tough for usda and the american cattleman. the feedban is a farce down there and for all you know you are multiplying bse throughout the american herd. if r-calf wants to do something to improve the future of the american cattle industry they might want to deal with bse before the consumers panic if the bubble bursts. neither canada nor the united states are willing, at present, to learn from the experiences of other countries that have found the disease.

[coppertop]

I have a real problem with breeding stock coming to Canada from the US. I think we have turned the other cheek with the US so many times we have run out of cheeks !!!!

[dalek]

Agreed Coppertop,we've gone past turning cheeks right to spreading them.