More POST feedban BSE

[farmers_son]

Cowman: That is exactly right.

At the very least the U.S. producer should be thinking that there but for the grace of god goes I. Simple probabilities dictate that the U.S. will soon find their next positive unless there is indeed a coverup.

And although there are protectionists in the United States there needs to be a realization that the U.S. has BSE too. The Americans have a choice. They can take our lastest BSE positive as justification for further delays in normalization of trade in live cattle and beef or they can support the science.

By supporting the science the U.S. not only shows countries who are restricting imports of U.S. beef that a low incidence of BSE is not justification to stop trade when appropriate measure are in place to ensure food safety. But furthermore they reassure their own consumers that the BSE safety measures that are in place in both Canada and the United States ensure food safety and that the situation is well in hand.

[Willowcreek]

farmers_son-- Its pretty easy for you guys to say all that--because you stand all to gain and nothing to lose...But the US stands all to lose- and nothing to gain with opening more trade with Canada...

Its pretty well evident that the other countries of the world- and especially their populations/consumers- follow their own drumbeat and don't follow the "Packer economics" influenced science as pushed by CFIA and USDA...How much beef is Canada actually shipping to Japan? LOL

If this bull had been found in the US we would be getting tagged with number 4- while we've actually only had 2 origin cattle...Anymore consumer perception beats the hell out of science..

Canada needs to go to testing ALL until they get past this epidemic...

[jensend]

with the history of cattle trade between canada and the states the last thing the usa needs is for canada to test everything. every positive canada finds now just erodes american credibility. it doesn't do canada any good either but the rest of the world knows how things work willowcreek. you don't think the japanese are saying, 'well, canada found another; the americans should have found seven.' you can crow over our positives but they are just as detrimental to america as they are to canada. otherwise you'd be sending beef all over the world by now. it seems the usda's coverup isn't working.

[whiteface]

Sure it's working jensend. We all know the U.S. don't have BSE. Which is obvious why they don't find any new cases.
Geeeeez! How slow could we be? Brain froze in the great white north. Have a warm day all! Thanks for reading!

[blackjack]

...some day when our brains unfreeze...lol...some day the cow-calf producer will figure this out when he has time from his new job to reflect back and wonder why...the govt have spent millions of dollars again on ad hoc programs and where are we today...same prices as 03...and yes i do blame govt...but then again they only listened to who they thought were the voice of the industry...

[IAMTHEMOLE]

Everybody knows that a vulture will hang around to pick a carcass clean. Sometimes you have to wonder if we are all better off if the government paid us for all our old crocks and buried them. Start over. No one in Canada wants to eat them anyway( at least knowingly). If we don't do something drastic here soon,the vultures or the packers will have all of carcasses picked clean. They are stealing these cows and UTM cattle before our very eyes and we are all held hostage to them because our government doesn't have the stomach(picked clean too) to take these drastic measures. This would defintely have a positive effect on our markets. Feeders would rebound because of greater heifer retention and fed prices would rally as well because more competition for less numbers around to slaughter. Would we risk alienation to the consumer? At one point maybe yes, but as each new case of BSE pops in the coming weeks, months or years we are slowly eroding the consumers confidence anyway.
Therefore it is my opinion and this is all it is, for our government will never back this, LET THE SLAUGHTER BEGIN!!

[grassfarmer]

For once I would back the Government - absolutely no need to embark on a ridiculous slaughter plan given the minute incidence of BSE in Canada. Only a few R-CALF jackasses are getting excited because they think someone may pay attention to them for a few days again. Not often the spotlight shines on Hicksville, MT. Consumers have confidence in our beef, politics are the problem.

[IAMTHEMOLE]

I agree. BSE is absolutely ridiculous. But tell me what is going to turn things around. We are approaching 4 years and have things improved? Our industry will not survive if we are forced to sell fed cattle at a 200-250 dollar per head discount to a US equivalent. I recognize that a mass cull will not happen, but I ask what else is there that can be done which would totally turn things around for our feeder and fed cattle markets overnight.

[cowman]

Willowcreek: The point is this bull wouldn't have been found in the USA...because you don't test anything!
Keep screaming to keep the border closed to OTM cattle. Keep yelling for MCOOL. Cut your own throat.
Our testing program is a surveliance program? The science says if you remove the SRMs the meat is totally safe? Now I know you don't agree with that but every country in the world does...?
Picture this: You don't allow OTM cattle in. Instead we ship it in, in a box? You really can't stop that from happening...we'll take you to the trade tribunal and win?
Now how about on top of that we finally decide we'll test these older cattle before we send the beef down? And don't laugh at that one....if you don't get that border open soon I suspect the pressure will increase up here where the government can't ignore it! Then you have beef on your grocery store shelf marked BSE free product of Canada? Then a very driven ad campaign spelling out the facts...like how USA beef is not tested? Maybe how the science says, in fact you haven't been looking and instead have been covering it up? Well you get the picture? I hope your pet food industry can take your surplus.

[rkaiser]

IAMTHE MOLE -

The alternative is to get on board with BIG C and push the government to allow testing for export markets. We are getting closer every day. Two new Ag Ministers in Canada these days - ask them what they think of the issue.

Imagine Ranchers Beef testing the cows they are killing and sending the meat from those cows south of the line to American buyers. Do you think America could hold out in the world's view if we offered BSE tested product?

Time for the trump card is long overdue.