Mad cow scare 'bad news'
A possible new case in the U.S. may further hinder beef trade.
WASHINGTON -- Attempts to lift the American ban on Canadian cattle could face a major setback with news yesterday U.S. officials may have discovered a second case of mad cow disease. Southwestern Ontario farmers, blindsided by the announcement, will have to wait anxiously for up to a week before U.S. officials can determine with certainty whether the cow has bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
"Any mention of (BSE) is bad news," said Lucan-area farmer Gord Hardy, a board member with the Ontario Cattlemen's Association.
"The (beef) price has been coming up all fall. There was a bit of optimism that the border was going to open . . . and scares like this can take the heart out of you."
If the cow has BSE, the U.S. Agriculture Department will go through a lengthy process of tracing the source of the disease, as it did when a Canadian-born cow in Washington state tested positive last December.
"We determine the source of the infection and take the appropriate regulatory actions," said Ed Curlett, spokesperson for the department's animal and plant health inspection service.
Curlett wouldn't speculate on the potential impact of a second diseased cow on the cattle ban that has devastated Canadian ranchers, and didn't say whether the potential new case had any connection to a Canadian cow.
"I'm not aware that it would have any impact. This cow could (test) negative."
U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election renewed hope among Canada's battered beef industry.
But another mad cow case -- Canadian or not -- would be devastating, said Larry Smith, an Embro-area farmer.
"I got this sort of wrenching in (my) gut, saying, 'Oh God,' " said Smith, an official with the Beef Improvement Organization.
"We don't need this sort of publicity right now -- even if (the final test) is negative."
Stan Eby, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, said he's been told two initial tests on the cow have come back inconclusive.
Eby said any potential new case shouldn't derail the progress that has been made on reopening the U.S border to live Canadian cattle.
"I see no reason for it to have an effect on present negotiations."
Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell called U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman yesterday and was told there is no suggestion of a link with Canada.
The United States first closed the border to Canadian beef products and cattle in May 2003 after a lone Alberta cow tested positive for BSE. It later reopened trade on some beef products, but so far hasn't resumed buying live cattle.
Both Canada and the U.S. have implemented similar safety measures to deal with the problem. They include more BSE testing and banning animal tissues considered more prone to the disease from the food supply.
Suspicions about another case of the disease came because of an inconclusive test result, American officials said yesterday.
"The inconclusive result does not mean we have found another case of BSE in this country," said U.S. Agriculture Department spokesperson Andrea Morgan.
"It is important to note that this animal did not enter the food or feed chain," Morgan said. "USDA remains confident in the safety of the U.S. beef supply."
Currently, only boneless cuts from animals under 30 months of age can cross from Canada into the U.S., but American officials have been working on a regulation that would lead to renewed cattle trade.
Prime Minister Paul Martin plans to raise the issue with President George W. Bush when he visits Ottawa at the end of the month.
The mad cow cases have also hurt U.S. export sales, with Japan and more than three dozen other countries refusing the take American beef.
U.S. officials want to establish a national identification system for tracking livestock and poultry from birth through the production chain.
Currently, only boneless cuts from animals under 30 months of age can cross from Canada into the U.S., but American officials have been working on a regulation that would lead to renewed cattle trade.
Prime Minister Paul Martin plans to raise the issue with President George W. Bush when he visits Ottawa at the end of the month.
