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Half of Canadian BSE Cattle Born After Feed Ban!!!

A

Anonymous

Guest
Half of Canadian BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban;

Stronger Measures Needed



Billings, Mont. – Canada announced on Sunday yet another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), this time in British Columbia, in a dairy cow born in mid-2000. This is a significant development because it confirms that BSE in Canada is not confined only to Alberta, and BSE in Canadian cattle obviously is not restricted to animals born before Canada’s 1997 feed ban was implemented to prevent the spread of this disease.

This latest BSE-positive cow – as well as the case Canada announced on Jan. 23 – was born three years after Canada implemented its feed ban, which suggests BSE has been circulating within the Canadian feed system during the past six years. The BSE-positive cow Canada confirmed on Jan. 11, 2005, was born seven months after Canada implemented its feed ban.

This new case actually is Canada’s sixth confirmed case of BSE in native-born cattle, not its fifth, as reported by USDA, which continues to overlook the December 2003 case found in Washington state in a cow imported from Alberta. (Canada also detected BSE in a cow imported from Great Britain in 1993.) More worrisome is that this latest incident is Canada’s fourth detected case in a little more than a year, and that Canada continues to test significantly fewer cattle compared to other BSE-affected countries.

“This means half of all Canadian BSE cases confirmed so far were in animals born after Canada implemented its 1997 feed ban, a precaution USDA incorrectly assumed would halt the spread of the disease within Canada’s feed system and its cattle herd,” said R-CALF USA President and Region V Director Chuck Kiker.

Underpinning USDA’s Final Rule that allows Canadian beef and cattle into the U.S. is the agency’s key assumption – a false assumption – that Canada’s feed ban is effective against BSE.

USDA has stated the agency anticipated there might be a few more cattle that were exposed to BSE-contaminated feed before Canada initiated its feed ban. However, in its risk analysis supporting the Final Rule, the agency warned that: “Another indication of an effective feed ban can be derived from epidemiologic investigations of diagnosed cases. Cases of BSE found in animals born after the feed ban was implemented would suggest either that the feed ban was ineffective or that there were noncompliance issues.”



“That’s precisely the situation now,” Kiker said.



Similarly, USDA stated in the Federal Register: “because the two BSE-infected animals (at the time) were born before the feed ban, there is no evidence to suggest that the feed ban is ineffective.”



“We now have the smoking gun: three confirmed BSE cases that show Canada’s feed ban has not prevented the spread of BSE,” noted Kiker. “USDA’s previous optimistic assumptions are no longer valid.



“By USDA’s own account, Canada is now detecting the third generation of BSE infectivity within its cattle herd – an increasingly obvious risk to the U.S. cattle herd,” Kiker explained. “If USDA does not take more decisive action, there is a possible irreversible risk of introducing a spreading pattern of BSE in our own country because the U.S. has not yet implemented the U.S. feed ban improvements recommended back in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address the increased risk of BSE exposure from foreign sources.”



Another important fact to consider is that this latest case was discovered in British Columbia, not Alberta, as were the previous cases, indicating Canada’s BSE problem is not confined to one small geographic area.



“Either BSE was already more widespread in Canada than previously thought, and Canada’s testing program was simply too low to detect it, or Canada’s BSE problem is growing,” Kiker continued. “In either case, the facts now available show more strongly than ever that it has become vital that USDA stop opening the way for Canada’s BSE problem to spread into the United States.



“Because the facts demonstrate Canada indeed has a significant BSE problem, R-CALF USA is reinstating its call for the closure of the Canadian border until the full scope of the problem can be scientifically quantified, and until Canada has successfully controlled its disease outbreak, which must be confirmed over many months of increased surveillance with no new cases of BSE,” Kiker asserted.


R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said that in 2005 demand for U.S. beef fell approximately 3.6 percent, with most of the decline occurring after the Canadian border was reopened to live Canadian cattle and additional beef products.



“The U.S. cannot continue to assume Canada’s BSE problem by co-mingling Canadian beef with U.S. beef in the domestic market with absolutely no differentiation between the two,” he said. “It’s not fair to consumers, and it’s not fair to independent U.S. cattle producers. It’s also irrational for the U.S. to have lower import standards for Canadian beef and cattle than what our export customers demand for our products.”



This latest Canadian case shows that the BSE prevalence rate per million head of Canadian cattle is higher than USDA claims. Over one year ago, nationally recognized risk analysis expert Louis Anthony Cox, Jr., Ph.D., estimated that Canada’s BSE prevalence rate – based on the fewer numbers of BSE cases detected at that time – was likely much higher than two per million head of cattle, and that Canada’s prevalence rate likely was as high as that found in some European countries. Cox reported that even using “2 per million for purposes of a baseline calculation, it is statistically almost certain (greater than 99 percent probability) that, at this rate, at least three BSE-positive cattle will be imported into the United States among the first few million cattle imported – presumably within the next few years.”



“We can no longer reasonably hope that Canadian BSE is a dwindling problem of the past,” Bullard insisted. “Currently, Canada is testing fewer cattle than any other countries affected by BSE, including the United States, and is testing at a rate far below that recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).”



Canada has tested only 103,152 cattle since 2003 and is detecting BSE at a rate of more than one positive case for every 20,000 head of cattle tested.



In contrast, the U.S. has tested 712,087 cattle since 2003 – about 7 times as many cattle as Canada – but has detected only two native cases (one case for every 356,044 head tested), both in cattle much older than those BSE cases being discovered in Canada, and in cattle born long before the U.S. feed ban was implemented. In other words, the U.S. is testing 7 times as many cattle and finding less than 5 percent as high a rate of BSE. These data provide a high level of confidence that the 1997 U.S. feed ban has prevented the spread of BSE within the U.S. feed system.



R-CALF USA calls on USDA to place a moratorium on the importation of Canadian cattle and beef at least until Canada adopts the minimal risk mitigation measures practiced in other BSE-affected countries that have identified BSE cases in cattle born after the implementation of a feed ban. Such measures include:



+Significantly increase testing of Canadian cattle to mirror the testing programs of other similarly affected countries.
+Close the loopholes in Canada’s feed ban, acknowledged by the Canadian government since 2003.
+Remove all specified risk materials (SRMs) from all cattle over 12 months of age, currently recommended by OIE for countries with an undetermined risk for BSE.


In addition, USDA should immediately require all beef and beef products imported from Canada to be clearly marked with a label indicating Canadian origin. After the above measures have effectively been implemented – and this has been confirmed by real-world data – USDA should continue labeling requirements that denote the origin of all beef products.



# # #



R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues. R-CALF USA, a national, non-profit organization, is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA’s membership consists primarily of cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and feedlot owners. Its members – over 18,000 strong – are located in 47 states, and the organization has over 60 local and state association affiliates, from both cattle and farm organizations. Various main street businesses are associate members of R-CALF USA. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.
 

TimH

Well-known member
Half of Canadian BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban;

Hmmmm??? A quick littlle calculation.........

The USA has 2 native BSE cases born prior to their 1997 feed ban...... sooooo..........if the next 2 USA origin BSE positives happen to be born after 1997, will R-Calf issue a press release with this headline.....

"Half of USA BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban" ???????

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Go get'em Chuckie!!!!!! Ka-ching$$$$$$$$$$

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

Bill

Well-known member
TimH said:
Half of Canadian BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban;

Hmmmm??? A quick littlle calculation.........

The USA has 2 native BSE cases born prior to their 1997 feed ban...... sooooo..........if the next 2 USA origin BSE positives happen to be born after 1997, will R-Calf issue a press release with this headline.....

"Half of USA BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban" ???????

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Go get'em Chuckie!!!!!! Ka-ching$$$$$$$$$$

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
Whoa there Tim.

We don't know that the last US case wasn't born after the feed ban.

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9293

The gurus at R-Calf musn't have seen that.

They still can't get past pokin' a stick at a hornets nest.
 

Econ101

Well-known member
Bill said:
TimH said:
Half of Canadian BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban;

Hmmmm??? A quick littlle calculation.........

The USA has 2 native BSE cases born prior to their 1997 feed ban...... sooooo..........if the next 2 USA origin BSE positives happen to be born after 1997, will R-Calf issue a press release with this headline.....

"Half of USA BSE Cattle Born After 1997 Feed Ban" ???????

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Go get'em Chuckie!!!!!! Ka-ching$$$$$$$$$$

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
Whoa there Tim.

We don't know that the last US case wasn't born after the feed ban.

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9293

The gurus at R-Calf musn't have seen that.

They still can't get past pokin' a stick at a hornets nest.

Bill, has rcalf been saying that the USDA has been mishandling bse all along or not?

I think you could say the same about the Canadian govt.

Have you asked yourself if there is any rational explanation for that? Maybe you want to discount the thought under the label "conspiracy theory" and "grassy knoll" talk.
 

Manitoba_Rancher

Well-known member
OT- You and I have our differences on here but I do still respect you as a smart man. I often wonder why you keep posting things that run the Canadian beef industry down. With this BSE problem I feel both Canadian and American ranchers need to work together to get it out of the system. We both need to work together to increase comsumer confidence not trash it like R-calf's press releases do.
 

S.S.A.P.

Well-known member
From Oldtimer's r-calf press release above, these two statements:

there is a possible irreversible risk of introducing a spreading pattern of BSE in our own country because the U.S. has not yet implemented the U.S. feed ban improvements recommended back in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

These data provide a high level of confidence that the 1997 U.S. feed ban has prevented the spread of BSE within the U.S. feed system.


Oldtimer since you posted the org's press release, I get to direct this question to you RE:
“Currently, Canada is testing fewer cattle than any other countries affected by BSE, including the United States, and is testing at a rate far below that recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).”

What testing rate does the OIE suggest a country of Canada's risk rate to test at?

r-calf's press release ............... and this has been confirmed by real-world data ??? :wink:
 

Maple Leaf Angus

Well-known member
M_R, you give him far more credit than he deserves. Don't waste it on him.

Ex-sheriff? Yeah, like the Keystone cops. Or worse, if he was anything like he is on this forum.

He's like a kid that keeps poking a stick into a bee's nest just so he can get a bit of attention when he screams after getting stung.

We all like taking our potshots from time to time, but what he does is reminiscent of a poor half-wit that has no judgment at all.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Manitoba_Rancher said:
OT- You and I have our differences on here but I do still respect you as a smart man. I often wonder why you keep posting things that run the Canadian beef industry down. With this BSE problem I feel both Canadian and American ranchers need to work together to get it out of the system. We both need to work together to increase comsumer confidence not trash it like R-calf's press releases do.

MR- I post the press releases because they are news involving the industry-- whether someone likes the news or not....Because I am a member I usually get them before they hit the paper.....

I also have said for some time I pretty much support R-CALF's position that we should not be importing ANY beef or cattle from ANY BSE country until we close the loopholes in our feedban- for protection of our US cattle herd-- and until we implement M-COOL so the consumers have an informed choice and to protect the demand and economics of the US beef....R-CALF releases are mostly in Ag publications and seen mostly by cattle industry people- but those coming out now by the consumers groups questioning the safety of Canadian beef are seen in publications worldwide by everyone...And they will be the ones that effect confidence and demand...

As I often said before- I believe the USDA was wrong in changing the BSE rules just for Canada and the benefit of the US owned multinational Packers- TSE safety rules that were set up over years of consultation and scientific advice were thrown out in a few month period for a new import rule that has holes galore in it..."Short term economics science" instead of looking at the consumer safety, long term herd health, and long term economic issues......

And I'm getting to the point that I'm not sure if Canadians ranchers really are working to solve the problem- as long as the border is open and you can move your beef again its back to the status quo- Oh well as long as the states keep taking our overglut :roll: ... If I was a Canadian, I'd be screaming to high heaven to know why and where all these POST feed ban cattle are coming from--3 out of 6- in fact all the last 3... I'd be screaming at my cattlemens organizations and Ottowa to close the loopholes they've left in your feedban.... And all I hear is some CFIA guy and some CCA stooge pooh-poohing and downplaying it, saying no big deal...... :???: Go after them- not R-CALF who is the only organization that seems really concerned about keeping the disease from spreading in the US cattle herd-- in fact the herds of both countries......
 

Manitoba_Rancher

Well-known member
You know OT I talked to a few consumers today.. average city folk in the super market while we were getting some steaks. I asked them what they thought about the safety of Canadian beef. They all responded the same... its safe but we sure dont trust the American's. They dont seem to finding many cases of BSE. They were shocked to hear that your actually cutting the numbers that you test each year. And Im hearing this from other people in Canada as well that they are not concerned about Canada's 5 BSE cases, at least they were found and not put into the food system.
 

Bill

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Manitoba_Rancher said:
OT- You and I have our differences on here but I do still respect you as a smart man. I often wonder why you keep posting things that run the Canadian beef industry down. With this BSE problem I feel both Canadian and American ranchers need to work together to get it out of the system. We both need to work together to increase comsumer confidence not trash it like R-calf's press releases do.

MR- I post the press releases because they are news involving the industry-- whether someone likes the news or not....Because I am a member I usually get them before they hit the paper.....

I also have said for some time I pretty much support R-CALF's position that we should not be importing ANY beef or cattle from ANY BSE country until we close the loopholes in our feedban- for protection of our US cattle herd-- and until we implement M-COOL so the consumers have an informed choice and to protect the demand and economics of the US beef....R-CALF releases are mostly in Ag publications and seen mostly by cattle industry people- but those coming out now by the consumers groups questioning the safety of Canadian beef are seen in publications worldwide by everyone...And they will be the ones that effect confidence and demand...

As I often said before- I believe the USDA was wrong in changing the BSE rules just for Canada and the benefit of the US owned multinational Packers- TSE safety rules that were set up over years of consultation and scientific advice were thrown out in a few month period for a new import rule that has holes galore in it..."Short term economics science" instead of looking at the consumer safety, long term herd health, and long term economic issues......

And I'm getting to the point that I'm not sure if Canadians ranchers really are working to solve the problem- as long as the border is open and you can move your beef again its back to the status quo- Oh well as long as the states keep taking our overglut :roll: ... If I was a Canadian, I'd be screaming to high heaven to know why and where all these POST feed ban cattle are coming from--3 out of 6- in fact all the last 3... I'd be screaming at my cattlemens organizations and Ottowa to close the loopholes they've left in your feedban.... And all I hear is some CFIA guy and some CCA stooge pooh-poohing and downplaying it, saying no big deal...... :???: Go after them- not R-CALF who is the only organization that seems really concerned about keeping the disease from spreading in the US cattle herd-- in fact the herds of both countries......
News about the industry Oldtimer? :roll: :roll: That's nothing more than R-Calfs lies and bull$(*T. Why don't you answer SSAP's question.
 

Manitoba_Rancher

Well-known member
Bill said:
Oldtimer said:
Manitoba_Rancher said:
OT- You and I have our differences on here but I do still respect you as a smart man. I often wonder why you keep posting things that run the Canadian beef industry down. With this BSE problem I feel both Canadian and American ranchers need to work together to get it out of the system. We both need to work together to increase comsumer confidence not trash it like R-calf's press releases do.

MR- I post the press releases because they are news involving the industry-- whether someone likes the news or not....Because I am a member I usually get them before they hit the paper.....

I also have said for some time I pretty much support R-CALF's position that we should not be importing ANY beef or cattle from ANY BSE country until we close the loopholes in our feedban- for protection of our US cattle herd-- and until we implement M-COOL so the consumers have an informed choice and to protect the demand and economics of the US beef....R-CALF releases are mostly in Ag publications and seen mostly by cattle industry people- but those coming out now by the consumers groups questioning the safety of Canadian beef are seen in publications worldwide by everyone...And they will be the ones that effect confidence and demand...

As I often said before- I believe the USDA was wrong in changing the BSE rules just for Canada and the benefit of the US owned multinational Packers- TSE safety rules that were set up over years of consultation and scientific advice were thrown out in a few month period for a new import rule that has holes galore in it..."Short term economics science" instead of looking at the consumer safety, long term herd health, and long term economic issues......

And I'm getting to the point that I'm not sure if Canadians ranchers really are working to solve the problem- as long as the border is open and you can move your beef again its back to the status quo- Oh well as long as the states keep taking our overglut :roll: ... If I was a Canadian, I'd be screaming to high heaven to know why and where all these POST feed ban cattle are coming from--3 out of 6- in fact all the last 3... I'd be screaming at my cattlemens organizations and Ottowa to close the loopholes they've left in your feedban.... And all I hear is some CFIA guy and some CCA stooge pooh-poohing and downplaying it, saying no big deal...... :???: Go after them- not R-CALF who is the only organization that seems really concerned about keeping the disease from spreading in the US cattle herd-- in fact the herds of both countries......
News about the industry Oldtimer? :roll: :roll: That's nothing more than R-Calfs lies and bull$(*T. Why don't you answer SSAP's question.


Bill,


Even if OT does answer SSAP's question he will sidestep alll around it and never get close to answering her original question. He would make a darn good politician. :roll:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
With the number of POST feed bans showing up and going into 2nd and 3rd generations of BSE positive cattle- and with a new infection area possibly showing up for POST feed ban positives- I would think Canadians would want to follow the lead of the Japanese and test ALL OTM's until they can find out the true extent of the disease and before the consumer confidence is shattered......

If it isn't attacked now and eliminated how long will your consumers keep that confidence? How many more Post feed ban cattle will they accept?.....In scanning the foreign papers I see where this article that reader2 posted with the consumer groups questioning the feedban has hit the Hong Kong papers today :roll:

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9294
 

Manitoba_Rancher

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
With the number of POST feed bans showing up and going into 2nd and 3rd generations of BSE positive cattle- and with a new infection area possibly showing up for POST feed ban positives- I would think Canadians would want to follow the lead of the Japanese and test ALL OTM's until they can find out the true extent of the disease and before the consumer confidence is shattered......

If it isn't attacked now and eliminated how long will your consumers keep that confidence? How many more Post feed ban cattle will they accept?.....In scanning the foreign papers I see where this article that reader2 posted with the consumer groups questioning the feedban has hit the Hong Kong papers today :roll:

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9294

OT you are sure a weasel. What about the US why dont you test every animal otm? You damn sure know the reason, you would be in a worse mess than Britian was.
 

Econ101

Well-known member
Manitoba_Rancher said:
Oldtimer said:
With the number of POST feed bans showing up and going into 2nd and 3rd generations of BSE positive cattle- and with a new infection area possibly showing up for POST feed ban positives- I would think Canadians would want to follow the lead of the Japanese and test ALL OTM's until they can find out the true extent of the disease and before the consumer confidence is shattered......

If it isn't attacked now and eliminated how long will your consumers keep that confidence? How many more Post feed ban cattle will they accept?.....In scanning the foreign papers I see where this article that reader2 posted with the consumer groups questioning the feedban has hit the Hong Kong papers today :roll:

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9294

OT you are sure a weasel. What about the US why dont you test every animal otm? You damn sure know the reason, you would be in a worse mess than Britian was.

MR, Mapleleaf, Bill, and other Canadians, I haven't heard many of you speak out against the USDA not allowing Creekstone to test.

What is the matter, afraid of messing around in another country's agriculture policy?
 

TimH

Well-known member
Oldtimer wrote-

".......R-CALF releases are mostly in Ag publications and seen mostly by cattle industry people- but those coming out now by the consumers groups questioning the safety of Canadian beef are seen in publications worldwide by everyone...And they will be the ones that effect confidence and demand... "

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Hey OT, who was it that bought and paid for the now infamous ad in the "Washington Post" a while back?????
Is the "'Post" an "Ag publication" ?????

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
You know guys, the US has our problems, too. We've got a USDA that has proved themselves untrustworthy and we have loopholes in our feedban that need to be closed. R-CALF has been very vocal about both of them. We're not trying to hide our problems (the USDA might, but R-CALF isn't). We want to clean our house, too.

But face it, OT is right. Instead of the attitude of "What the hell is the deal with these post-banners, we need to get to the bottom of this now", all we hear from you guys is "R-CALF needs to be quiet" and "The beef didn't enter the system". Come on, guys, you can have only so many post-ban cases before you get bit in the butt big time. If anything, R-CALF is doing you a favor by prodding you to action to fix something that is obviously broke. The problem is, you're ramming the pickup instead of going thru the gate. You don't seem to want to even acknowledge there is a problem let alone take action to fix it. Wake up, guys, you slept while the US took over your packing industry - you can't afford to sleep thru this one, too.
 

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