Article Submitted to the Exeter Times-Advocate
Huron Soil and Crop Edition 2004

Whether you raise cattle or just enjoy steak on the barbeque, the appearance of mad cow disease in North America is probably something that has been a topic of conversation around your dinner table.

In response to this crisis, the federal government has been working with stakeholders and industry leaders to develop a strategy to both sustain the sector and help to retool it for future challenges.

Even before the threat of BSE was detected in North America, the federal government had already taken steps to minimize the risks posed by the disease. Since 1997, the Canadian and US authorities have banned the use of ruminant meat-and-bone meal in cattle feed as it is the most likely method of BSE transmission.

A BSE-infected cow, born before the ban on feed was imposed, was discovered in Alberta last May. A second infected animal, also older than the ban on feed, was also found in the US. North America has an integrated cattle market. Approximately 7 million cattle a year are bought and sold between our two countries; 6 million from Canada to the United States, and a million in the other direction.

The government took further precautions in July 2003, requiring the removal of specified risk materials (SRM) during slaughter. SRMs consist of tissue and organs, such as the brain and spinal cord that may transmit BSE. Keeping SRMs out of our food chain virtually eliminates any human health risks associated with BSE.

In January, the government committed an additional $92.1 million over the next five years, primarily to improve our system for testing cattle. We are also increasing the number of animals tested for BSE. In 2004, 8,000 animals will be tested, and this number will increase to around 30,000 annually in the next few years. We are also improving our system for tracking cattle.

The $92.1 million we are spending on testing and tracking is over and above the $520 million already given to producers by the federal and provincial governments to aid the cattle industry, as well as the $120 million dedicated by the government to assist ranchers in handling the surplus of older livestock.

Most recently, on March 22nd, 2004, the Prime Minister announced an additional $995 million in federal investment into the beef industry. The announcement included $680 million for cattle producers who have faced severely depressed prices. This amount will be delivered as a direct payment of up to $80 per eligible animal on inventory on hand at the end of 2003. There was also an additional $250 million in bridge funding that will be paid to producers of all eligible commodities. This amount will be delivered as a direct payment to producers based upon past income information. Lastly, this announcement included a $65 million augmentation to CFIP.

The Government of Canada is doing everything it can to assist our cattle farmers and to reassure Canadian consumers. We are working together with the provinces, stakeholders in the industry, and senior government officials in various countries, including Japan and South Korea, to ensure that beef exports return to normal as soon as possible. We have also agreed with the United States and Mexico to increase efforts to harmonize BSE prevention measures throughout North America.

After all, Canadian and foreign consumers alike should be able to eat Canadian beef knowing that it is of the highest quality and produced under the most stringent safety standards in the world.