|
|
Canadian cattle more than 30 months old to be allowed into U.S.WASHINGTON (AP)--Canadian cattle over 30 months of age will be allowed into the U.S. market starting Nov. 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Sept. 14 in expanding its policy on bovine spongiform encephalopathy. In May 2003, the discovery of an Alberta cow with BSE caused the United States to slam the border shut to cattle imports from Canada. The border between the world's largest trade partners reopened for Canadian beef from younger cattle within months of the original ban. Live cattle under the age of 30 months have been allowed to move across the border since July 2005. Bruce Knight, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said the change is firmly based in science and ensures that U.S. regulators will protect the country against the disease. Eating meat products contaminated with BSE, has been linked to more than 150 human deaths, mostly in Britain, from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. There have been three cases of BSE in the U.S. The first, in December 2003 in Washington state, was in a cow that had been imported from Canada. The second, in 2005, was in a Texas-born cow. The third was confirmed last year in an Alabama cow. There have been 10 cases of BSE in Canada. North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said cattle producers should be "deeply disappointed" by the decision. "Until Canada can prove that they are strictly enforcing the proper safeguards, it is risky to allow these higher risk animals into the U.S," Johnson said in a statement. "Infected Canadian animals have already been responsible for millions of dollars in lost U.S. exports." "USDA should take all steps to immediately and fully implement mandatory, country-of-origin labeling to avoid weakening our standards on Canadian beef imports," he said. Date: 9/26/07
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
