Animal Health Issues Top
Agenda at Tri-National Meeting
HELENA, Mont. -- Animal health and consumer confidence issues highlighted
discussions as state and provincial agriculture officials from the
United
States, Mexico and Canada met for four days last week in Jalisco,
Mexico.
"We had constructive discussions on a wide range of trade issues
including
country-of-origin labeling, agricultural biotechnology and how our
respective governments deal with animal diseases and the importation
of
livestock," says Ralph Peck, who chaired a U.S.-Canada Working
Group at the
14th annual meeting of the Tri-National Agricultural Accord.
The meetings March 10-13, hosted by the Mexican state of Jalisco,
were
attended by secretaries, commissioners, directors and senior government
officials from five Canadian provinces, 22 U.S. states and 18 Mexican
states.
During the meetings, federal officials in Canada announced they were
relaxing standards on the importation of live feeder cattle from 39
U.S.
states including Montana. Delegates discussed the details of the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency announcement regarding bluetongue and anaplasmosis
-
two animal diseases that are uncommon in Canada and northern U.S.
states.
Peck expressed disappointment that the policy change still would not
permit
the free flow of cattle from Montana and other U.S. states into Canadian
herds. Rather, the new policy allows the year-round import of cattle
into
specially designated feedlots from which cattle are sent to slaughter.
Mexican and Canadian members expressed their continuing opposition
to U.S.
country-of-origin labeling, and agreed they would send a letter to
U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman outlining their concerns. State
directors
from the United States favor a simplified, less costly method of designating
country of origin.
Members of the Animal Health Subcommittee of the U.S.-Canada Working
Group
pledged during the meeting to work with federal officials from the
two
countries a variety of animal health issues. Among them:
-
-- Sharing of scientific research and information regarding the
handling and
disposal of specified risk materials: the brain, spinal cord and
other
tissues thought to be the main method of transmission of bovine
spongiform
encephalopathy, or BSE disease in cattle.
-- Surveillance and testing methods for BSE, and measures needed
to maintain
consumer confidence in beef.
-- Harmonization of animal health standards for BSE, anaplasmosis,
blue
tongue, brucellosis and tuberculosis. The five diseases also were
discussed
at a September meeting in Boise, Idaho, that included state agriculture
directors and commissioners and several of their counterparts from
Canada.
Marc Bridges, executive director of the Montana Board of Livestock,
accompanied Director Peck to both meetings.
The Mexican delegation was headed by Dr. Jorge Zertuche Rodriguez,
director
general of Rural Development, Forestry and Fisheries for the state
of
Tamaulipas and the president of the Mexican Association of Secretaries
of
Agricultural and Livestock Development. The Canadian delegation was
headed
by Rosann Wowchuk, deputy premier and minister of Agriculture, Food
and
Rural Initiatives for the Province of Manitoba.
The U.S. delegation was headed by Gene Hugoson, commissioner of the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture and president of the National
Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
The 2005 Tri-National Accord meeting will be held in the United States
at a
location yet to be decided.
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