19 May 2005

Beef summit aims to reopen border

The following article is excerpted from the 18 May 2005 edition of the “Calgary Herald”.

Citing concerns for the long-term economic health of smaller American cattle producers and processors as Canada ramps up its processing capacity, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns said Tuesday he's putting his scientific cards on the table in an effort to hasten the border reopening to Canadian cattle.

Johanns will host a round-table discussion presenting the science that underlies the safety of North American beef and the economic impact of the closed border on the U.S. industry June 9 … to "put into perspective for producers, processors and decision makers the facts and the future implications of the course we are following," he said….

The round table is being held more than a month before the July 27 court hearing in Billings, Mont., which will determine if the temporary injunction won by activist group R-CALF on March 2 blocking the reopening of the U.S. border to Canadian cattle will be made permanent.

It also comes as the U.S. Justice Department works on its appeal of the March ruling with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco….

Canada's cattle industry has lost an estimated $7 billion since May 2003, when it detected its first case of mad cow disease in Alberta….

The industry also can't ignore the fact Canada is expanding its processing capacity….

While U.S. slaughter fell eight per cent in 2004, the number of federally inspected slaughters in Canada rose 24 per cent and climbed another five per cent this year compared with the same period last year…

"American producers and processors will be left out in the cold if the border is not reopened soon," Johanns said….