U.S. court blocks Canadian cattle

[Thanato]

I am really p***ed off about this, Open the damn boarder.

U.S. court blocks Canadian cattle

BILLINGS, MONT. - A judge in Montana has granted a temporary injunction to stop the U.S. government from reopening the border next week to Canadian cattle.

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA), which claims if the border reopens it will cause producers immediate and irreparable damage.

U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull, who said he would give his written reasons Wednesday or Thursday, told the lobby group for American ranchers that they should apply for a permanent injunction.

It is likely the U.S. Department of Agriculture will appeal his decision, but it is unknown whether an appeal could be heard quickly enough to make a difference for the reopening date.

The border was set to open to young cattle, those under 30 months, starting on Monday, March 7, and Canadian producers were beginning to ready shipments for the first time in 21 months.

"It's definitely not a good day for our industry," said Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation, adding that it may be time to start investigating Canada's options under the World Trade Agreement or the North American Free Trade Agreement.

R-CALF claims that reopening the border will hurt the U.S. cattle industry economically, pose a threat to consumers and create losses of up to $3 billion US.

They said the border reopening would increase the risk of importing contaminated beef products from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy – mad cow disease – into the U.S. They argue that would shatter consumer confidence in the American cattle industry.

Canada would ship two million animals south in the first 12 months if the border reopens, R-CALF says. The American cattle industry has been reaping high prices for their animals since the border closed.

The group also claims Canada has failed to adequately test for BSE and that letting Canadian cattle into the U.S. could harm trade negotiations with countries like Japan. Japan closed its borders to the U.S. after a Canadian-born cow tested positive in Washington state.

The U.S. banned Canadian cattle imports in May 2003 when mad cow disease was discovered in a Canadian cow.

Late last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Canada was a minimal risk country.

During Wednesday's hearing, Cebull asked a number of questions about whether American consumers would be aware of where their beef came from and how great the risk was of a BSE-infected animal crossing the border. The USDA argued the risk would be minimal.

R-CALF succeeded last year in obtaining an injunction to halt a USDA decision to allow additional cuts of meat from Canada, also argued in front of Cebull.

International Trade Minister Jim Peterson said the ruling was "a real setback."

"We will use every possible measure we can to get the border reopened again," Peterson said. "We received assurances the border would be open March 7, we agreed it would be a science-based determination, and the Americans came up and inspected all the processes and found them to be the highest standard.

"I'm very disappointed."

~Thanato

[bathory]

eh Mad Cow disease has the potential to wipe out both countires beef industries, can you really blame the US?

[warden]

Better being safe than sorry,remember what happened in Britian

[Thanato]

all Canadian Mad Cow cases happend in Cows that were older then the 1997 ban on animal products in animal feed or during the cross over prosses.

Canada is a low risk Cuntry, the US Department of agricalture even said so, that the US damn ranchers that dont want it. There idiots anywhy, red neck idiots.

I know someone who is personal effected by the ban an allmost has to sell the his farm, he use to have 200 cows, now he has less then 40. Because he cant afford to keep them.

~Thanato

[Celumnaz]

we got lotsa cows here in Texas. when I lived in New Jersey and in Florida I remember seeing lotsa cows there too.

[jeceris]

if i was the americans i would keep the border shut to our beef too.

i know it sucks for all the beef farmers in canada because one farmer in alberta got a bad lot of feed, but so be it.

it's the timing i.m not sure about.

bush comes up here, has his little visit, tries to push the missle defense project down our throat, we hummed and hawed about it a bit, and then said a definate no.

within a week of this rice says she's not coming, and the border, which was set to open next monday to beef, is suddenly shut. this agreement had been in place for months.

we say no to missles and the americans suddenly shut the border.

this all seems like some sort of political game to me, and the farmers are now the ones suffering.

[Shivel]

Canada is a low risk Cuntry, the US Department of agricalture even said so, that the US damn ranchers that dont want it. There idiots anywhy, red neck idiots.

Who exactly are the red neck idiots? I would love to know. Its not America's fault that Canadian farmers arent careful enough to make sure the cows arent carrying a disease..so who are the idiots again?

If the United States didnt think there was a problem with the cows then there wouldnt be an issue.

[Thanato]

THe US Ranchers, they want to keeps the boarder closed because they say it will cause irreversable damage, which is a load of BS because it was fine 3 years ago.

Canadian beef is safe, no cow that had BSE made it into the food supply because of our safty standards, and no cow under thate age of 7 years had BSE because we banned animal products in the feed 7 or so years ago.

Canadian Cows are safe.

~Thanato

[Celumnaz]

give them to the starving people around the world, for free

[Shaftsbury]

I too am upset about this whole situation as I happen to live in Alberta which is one of the major cattle raising areas in Canada.

What really irritates me is how the US government can be controlled by "a well-organized, well-funded lobby in Washington of cattlemen and meat processors."

If you do a bit of searching you can come up with the following information, you can interpret it yourself how you see fit.

Canada as of January 2004 had a cattle population of roughly 14.8 million head.

The U.S. at the same time had a population of 95.4 million.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health the "Number of reported cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in farmed cattle worldwide" shows Canada having 2 cases of BSE in 2003 (only one of those cases actually being diagnosed in Canada, as 1 case was diagnosed in the U.S. and was conveniently linked to an animal iimported from Canada).

There was also 1 confirmed case found in Canada for 2004. The U.S. however shows that it has never found a case of BSE. I find that rather hard to believe considering the volume of cattle that they produce, and when I read stuff like this.

Well that's my opinion

statistical sources:

Source 1

Source 2

Who exactly are the red neck idiots? I would love to know. Its not America's fault that Canadian farmers arent careful enough to make sure the cows arent carrying a disease..so who are the idiots again?

Don't be so nieve, it's not that the Canadian ranchers are not being careful, it's just that they are being more honest.

Edited March 4, 2005 by Shaftsbury

[Shivel]

Don't be so nieve, it's not that the Canadian ranchers are not being careful, it's just that they are being more honest.

*naive

And i have no reason to believe they are being more honest.

[Thanato]

its nieve,

and Canada and the US test the cows vary similarly so if the US farmers say Canadian cows arnt safe, that that must mean that American cows are equaly unsafe, does it not?

~Thanato

[__Kratos__]

This is a great happening. More money back into American companies. Sucks to be the Canadians.

[jeceris]

This is a great happening. More money back into American companies. Sucks to be the Canadians.

511612[/snapback]

i think babs was looking for you

[Shivel]

its nieve,

and Canada and the US test the cows vary similarly so if the US farmers say Canadian cows arnt safe, that that must mean that American cows are equaly unsafe, does it not?

Oh for gods sake..there is no such word as "nieve".. just because it sounds like it would be spelled that way doesnt mean it is..look it up in a dictionary.

And where does it say that Canada and US tests cows similarly? Can you show me a site?

[Doctor_Strangelove]

I hope the border opens soon, I cannot find anything wrong with AB beef ( or SK, or MN, or BC, or moon beef for that matter)

[Thanato]

Ya its that moon beef that can kill ya if you dont cut out the right pieces .

It was on the news.

Oh and __Kratos__ you are one immature little fart,

~Thanato

[Doctor_Strangelove]

give them to the starving people around the world, for free

510804[/snapback]

You think our beef is that crumby?

[Doctor_Strangelove]

Some of people I know in SK are so paranoid about MCD that they eat buffalo instead

[jeceris]

Some of people I know in SK are so paranoid about MCD that they eat buffalo instead

511663[/snapback]

i've had a bison burger, and it was damm tasty.

[Thanato]

ive had a bison steak, tho it wasnt as good as regular steak i have, it was still great.

Tho Support the beef Industry Shoot American Cows.

j/k

~Thanato

[Doctor_Strangelove]

The americans don't know how dependent they are to us

Buffolo has a stronger taste

[Thanato]

Maybe we should stop selling them electricity for a few days, i wana see how many places down there go out. oh and what about the Gas, and all the other Raw Materials, think we should stop giving them thoughs for a bit?

It would be a good exparament.

~Thanato

[Doctor_Strangelove]

Heeheehee Good plan

[Deception]

oh be for real here people. The americans are smart for not taking Canadian beef. Why buy somthing from another nation that your nation has alot of? And then if the Canadians sell there beef for less than Americans it would ruin the American beef industry.

EDIT. sorry didn't see the other post.

Well Ameica can always look to the south american countries for raw material. And how long do you think the Canadian economy would far without selling the americans materials?

Edited March 5, 2005 by Deception