MAD COW DISEASE FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES

[dmarti9]

Now I am just wondering after reading this article, what will happen to the US beef market and who will punish their industry by cutting their exports down as they did to our Canadian farmers and market?

Diana M.

[dmarti9]

I'd like to take the time to say that I obviously didn't read through all the comments as I didn't know there were some, and I was reacting to Cognito's opening Message. Cheers...Happy, New Years

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito;

I see the boundries are getting clearer...

THis was on DTN Agnews today:

"Japan requires all domestic cows to be tested for the disease before going to market and has urged Canada and the U.S. to tighten their test procedures.

The Asahi, a nationwide newspaper, reported Friday that the Japanese government would continue to press the U.S. to test every cow before sending it to market as a minimum condition for Japan to lift the U.S beef import ban."

[cowman]

And there it is! That is what is required. So what is the problem? Does it make more sense to do nothing and continue to lose billions? The governments of both the USA and Canada need to get with the program!
I mean how much can the cost be? Would it be more than the $85.4 million they lost this year on wheat?

[cropduster]

Commodity broker Larry Weber has been repeatedly saying this is a way to go and I agree,BUT,if the protocol for closing the borders aren`t changed to some form of graduated scale, based on numbers of animals discovered, we will DESTROY the industry as we know it.Why aren`t the cattle organizations working toward this end or am I uninformed???? Seems like all they`re doing is waiting for the American`s to allow them to start exporting again.

[cowman]

I think the cattle organizations are hoping that common sense will prevail in the US and the politicians will listen to their own USDA.
However this is an election year in the US and anything goes! Therefore you have guys like Tom Daeshele stirring the pot.
Yes testing will destroy the industry in the short term. It will also force America to get real on this disease in the long term. And not testing is going to destroy our industry anyway. When the Canadian consumer starts to back off beef we are in serious trouble! France tests. Japan tests. Their consumers are back and business is back to normal. We need to do something. We can't survive the way things are now?

[carebear300]

It appears to me that the canadian government is worried about offending the americans and will wait and let the americans set the standards that we will follow. In other words once again they are prepared to sacrifice the canadian farmer to satisfy some other hidden agenda.

[TOM4CWB]

Carebear300;

I see this on DTN AgNews today;

"Japan Seeks Stricter BSE Standards
01/12 09:56
TOKYO (Nikkei) -- The Japanese government will request that the World Organization for Animal Health establish stricter international inspection standards for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports in its Monday edition.

The intergovernmental organization, known as the OIE, is responsible for monitoring contagious diseases among livestock.

Japan requires BSE screening for all domestic cattle slated for shipment as part of one of the world's most stringent inspection programs. But international standards require that the U.S., which annually ships 35 million head of cattle, inspect only about 500. The U.S. government screens around 20,000 head of cattle, and officials say that the current inspection regime is scientific.

During the organization's general meeting in May, the Japanese government will tout the effectiveness of its comprehensive screening initiative and call for an increase in minimum sample standards. Officials are also expected to seek inspections for cattle less than two years old, which are considered to be safe under international standards. Among the nine cases of BSE discovered in Japan, two were from cattle younger than two years old.

(CZ)"

I would say the International BSE standards need some serious work, wouldn't you say?

[dmarti9]

As for why Canada hasn't started testing all the cattle yet, I don't think Canada has a hidden agenda or fears to insult the States. The 85.4 million that was lost in wheat is more likely to be the reasoning behind the wait. During the past two years our biggest agricultural exports have suffered, our over-quotaed Dairy market was shut down a few years ago with the states and then last year was drought and this year was beef. Yes, increasing testings so that they are done on every cow will open export markets again which in turn will bring in revenue, sooner or later, but at what costs? Can our nation afford this new investment at this time after suffering so many other market shut downs? Who will pay for these increased lab investments? If the costs falls back on the farmers, which it probably will, partially if not all, will they even be able to pay? Is opening the markets for export again the best thing for us to do right now or is this an oppurtunity for us as a Nation, to step back and take care of our own Country?