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HORSE & PONY SURVEY

Atlantic Beef, Fall 2008

Rib Ends:
Notes, news 'n' notions


Another case of BSE in Alberta
On Aug. 15, the CFIA confirmed a BSE case in a six-year-old beef cow from Alberta. No part of the animal's carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems. Through continued support from producer participation, the BSE surveillance program targets the highest risk animals and has tested more than 220,000 cattle since 2003. The detection of this animal does not affect Canada's status as a BSE controlled risk country as recognized by the World Organization for Animal health (OIE).

Buying locally
Consumers are feeling better about buying their foods locally, especially since the recent outbreak of listeria in some Maple Leaf Foods processed meat. One customer said he's been buying local steaks and ground beef at William Mulder's Fresh Meats (at the Boyce Farmers' Market in Fredericton, N.B.) for years because he likes to know where his meat comes from. Mulder said he's not certain if the listeria outbreak would encourage more people to buy local meat products, but he's confident his business will continue to attract quality-beef buyers. (TDG, Sept. 3/08)

Loss of a great man
Jim Roger "Tex" McInnis of Nappan, N.S., passed away Aug. 7 after a courageous two-month battle with cancer. He will be deeply missed by his loving wife and soul mate, Lorelei, along with his precious children, Jacy, Cheyenne, James, and Miranda. Jim had farmed all his life and next to his family, it was his passion. It was hard to find someone who didn't know him. He was well respected by his peers both personal and business. He was known as a hard worker and great family man. For more on Jim, see page 35.

Kanters joins BIC team
Janet Kanters is the new Stakeholder Communications Manager of the Beef Information Centre (BIC), the beef market development division of the CCA. Over the past 17 years, she has held positions with Alberta Agriculture and Food, the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). Her writing has been published in various agricultural magazines and newspapers, and has resulted in many awards. You can reach Janet by phone, 403-275-5890, ext 310; or by email jkanters@beefinfo.org.

Mexico blocks Alberta cattle
Mexico has banned imports of live cattle from Alberta, following the discovery of Canada's 14th case of BSE in the province last week. The country is banning imports of beef and dairy breeding cattle ­ but not stopping the flow of beef into the country ­ in a move Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said has no legitimacy from a scientific perspective. Rob McNabb, general manager of operations at the CCA, said Mexico has given written notice of the ban to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but no further details about a timeline were available. (AFcom, Aug. 21/08)

New CCA logos
The CCA has two new logos as of Aug. 13 ­ one for Canada and the U.S. and one for the rest of the world. The most distinct difference in the logos is the absence of a cow's image in the one destined for North American markets. This is apparently based on marketing research into the preferences of North American consumers. Dave Andrews, of the Canadian Cattlemen Market Development Council, said "in Canada and the U.S., consumers are less willing to identify the beef they eat with an actual image of the animal." (WP, Aug. 21/08)

New lady in charge
Pamela Harnden of Dryden, Maine, is now the new Executive Director of The Maine Beef Producers Association. In this position, Harnden will serve Maine beef producers as a liaison between the Association, Maine's Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension, the Maine Beef Industry Council, Aroostook Beef Producers, and other related organizations. She will also be in charge of increasing membership, serving as a resource for all members, creating and maintaining a website, publishing monthly newsletters, and assisting with all sales and events sponsored by the Association.

Japanese expand feedlots
Apparently some Japanese meat processors are expanding their own feedlot operations to fill a growing demand for domestically-raised beef and poultry amid consumer concerns about food safety. It's all well and good, but U.S. Meat Export Federation Economist Erin Daley told Meatingplace.com that Japan is still heavily reliant on U.S. agricultural products. Japan's beef production increased 3.7 percent during its 2007-2008 fiscal year, and is up three percent so far this year. "Even if Japan increases domestic production, they will still rely on some level of imported red meat," Daley said. (MP, Aug. 28/08)

Court sides with USDA on BSE
The USDA can prohibit meat packers from testing cattle for BSE, a federal appeals court ruled late last week. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturns an earlier federal court decision stating Arkansas City, Kan.-based processor Creekstone Farms Premium Beef must be allowed to test for BSE because USDA can only regulate disease "treatment." The test doesn't qualify as a treatment, the ruling said, because there is no cure for BSE and the test is conducted on dead animals. However, the appeals court ruled that a diagnosis can be deemed a facet of treatment. (MP, Sept. 2/08)



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