MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US opens border to Canadian young cattle

A United States federal court ruled that meatpackers can again import Canadian cattle ending a two year ban imposed after Canada admitted its first case of mad cow disease.
Cattle must be under 30 months old.

"This is great news for the future of the US beef industry, ranchers, feeds and processing plants that have been struggling to make ends meet due to the close border", said US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.

Last March a group of US ranchers from Montana had prevented the reopening of the border because they blame Canada for introducing mad cow disease to the US.

Four cases of bovine spongiform encephalitis, BSE, stemming from Canadian cattle have been identified since May 2003, including the first reported case in the US with a dairy cow from Alberta.

However a second case of mad cow disease was confirmed in June but it was a 12 year old cow born and raised in Texas.

US meatpackers supported the USDA case saying shipments of live cattle were needed to avoid laying off workers and curtailing plant operations.

Because of the close link between the US and Canadian cattle industries "beef consumer prices paid by US consumers are the highest since 1979".

In 2002 Canada exported 1,7 million head of cattle to the US, most shipped directly to meatpacking plants or to feed lots for fattening. Canada estimates losses to the industry because of the ban to have reached four billion US dollars.

However the Montana ranchers group has said they will try to overturn the ruling and is looking forward to the July 27 full hearing.