"On Your Marks..."

The horn sounds, a strobe light flashes and a moment later swimmers push off during a heat at this year’s swim meet in Provost on Saturday. Castor, Forestburg, Wainwright, Killam and Provost competed. Approximately 100 took part. Photo left shows swimmers on the bench as they wait their turn to get into the water. ©Provost News Photo.
Print version in July 30 edition of The News.
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Alberta Pledges More Support for Cattle Industry
—But Borders Remain Closed for Exports
The Alberta government has pledged $79 million in short and medium-term support for provincial producers as the international border remains closed to Canadian cattle and beef because of a single case of mad cow disease discovered in northern Alberta.

The Alberta government has pledged $79 million in short and medium-term support for provincial producers as the international border remains closed to Canadian cattle and beef because of a single case of mad cow disease discovered in northern Alberta.

No other cases have since been detected.

The new measures include: a $65-million Fed Cattle Competitive Bid Program; $10 million in changes to the Alberta Disaster Assistance Loan Program and the Alberta Farm Development Loan Program; and a $4 million Stranded Beef Export Container initiative.

Alberta's new Fed Cattle Competitive Bid Program will allow buyers to purchase fed cattle for retention purposes, reducing the current pressure on Alberta's beef markets. The initial sellers would be eligible for payments on the same basis as cattle sold for slaughter under the federal-provincial compensation plan. The buyers would be required to hold cattle for a minimum of eight weeks.

The United States border is crucial to the current crisis but that country has never lifted a ban on any country since imposing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) trade restrictions in 1989. Canada has a similar policy.

Alberta supplies the vast majority of beef to the U.S. market and Canada was that country’s largest supplier of live cattle last year—and second largest supplier of beef and veal. Canada meanwhile imports live cattle from the United States, Uruguay, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile and New Zealand.

In making the aid announcement on July 25, Deputy Premier and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Shirley McClellan said that “While we are fully supportive of continuing the national Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy recovery program, we cannot stand idle with a cattle industry in dire straights. These supports are one more step in ensuring our industry's survival over the next few months.” She added that Alberta Agriculture officials continue to work with industry to ensure this program is working for them. “We are also working with industry on a number of related concerns, including dealing with culled cows and bulls.”

The interim measures stem from the Minister's meeting with approximately 60 industry and government representatives on July 18 in Calgary.

Mark Norris, Minister of Economic Development, said that the Stranded Export Beef Container Initiative will pay for the storage and demurrage costs of Canadian beef that has been rejected in transit or held in bonded warehouses in foreign markets. He added that this would help maintain long-term trade relationships with foreign buyers, allowing for easier re-entry into those markets when borders re-open.

McClellan, although advocating for a national loan guarantee program, indicated Alberta would also be prepared to make changes to its two loan programs administered by AFSC, if necessary. McClellan would ask AFSC to adjust the terms and conditions, as well as increase loan limits to $1 million.

Vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers, Darcy Davis said that these programs will help Alberta's cattle industry survive the coming months.

Vice-president of Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, Jeff Ball said that the Fed Cattle Competitive Bid program would serve the immediate needs of the cattle feeders. “This program allows our industry to have some immediate cash flow while helping to free up space to move cattle later on.”

McClellan said these plans will work in conjunction with the federal-provincial compensation program, announced June 18, to which the province has already committed more than $100 million. Both programs are being supported through the province's Sustainability Fund. She added that the Alberta government would still work collaboratively with its provincial, territorial and federal partners to resolve any BSE-related issues.

Three days before the announcement of provincial aid, Premier Ralph Klein met with Japanese Consul General Yoshikazu Takeuchi stressing the importance of international borders re-opening to Canadian beef exports. Klein emphasized the crisis that cattle producers in the province are facing, and the urgent need to get international trade restored.

“My message to Mr. Takeuchi was that time is running out for Alberta's beef producers. If trade doesn't resume soon, the industry will be devastated,” Klein said. “I asked the Consul General to convey to officials in Japan the urgency of this matter, and the need to base their policies on sound science and factual information. “The fact is, Canadian beef is 100 per cent safe-and that's been confirmed by international experts. This was one case in one cow. It did not enter the food chain and no other cases have been found. There is simply no need for continued bans on Canadian beef exports.”

American officials have been citing Japanese agricultural trade requirements, particularly country-of-origin labeling, as a key factor for the continued U.S. ban on Canadian beef exports. “In many ways, Japan is the linchpin in all of this,” Klein said.

The premier also emphasized the urgency of the BSE situation in letters to Mexican President Vicente Fox; U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney; and Harmui Takahashi, the Governor of Hokkaido, Alberta's sister province in Japan. The Alberta government will be also re-call the managing director of the Alberta-Japan Office in Tokyo, Brad Klak for consultations on resolving BSE issues related to Japan.

Agricultural experts estimate the border closures are costing beef producers $11 million per day. By the end of August, the total impact to the industry could be as much as $1.1 billion.

Rest of story in July 30 edition of The Provost News.
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