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July 23, 2003

BSE Update:
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (MAD COW DISEASE)

Manitoba Agriculture and Food
Veterinary Services Branch
545 University Crescent
Winnipeg MB R3T 5S6

WHAT WE KNOW:

Canada is now categorized as a country or zone with a moderate risk for BSE; we were BSE-free prior to May 20, 2003.
To date, no country has regained BSE-free status, having once lost that status, and no such country has re-established normal trading relationships with BSE-free countries.
The Organization Internationale des Epizooties (OIE) has clear guidelines in its chapter on BSE regarding the requirements for attaining and maintaining BSE freedom. (http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/MCode/A_00068.htm). Under the current guidelines a country with a native born BSE case requires 7 years to demonstrate no additional BSE cases to regain its BSE-free status. These guidelines are under review, however, and may change, with shorter periods to demonstrate BSE freedom, to better reflect the differences in BSE preventative programs and surveillance of countries.
Canada does not currently permit the importation of cattle or beef products from non-BSE free countries. Can we realistically expect other countries to treat us differently now that we have had a case of BSE?
The United States Department of Agriculture, through its Code of Federal Regulations, has a systematic process for re-establishing trade relations:

The exporting country applies for permission to move animals and/or animal products into the U.S.
The U.S. then conducts a risk assessment of the exporting country;
USDA make this information public
USDA publishes a rule proposing its actions, with a comment period that varies from 30 to 60 days
USDA then publishes a final rule

Canada has made that formal request, and has supplied virtually all of the information required by USDA. The rule making process, including the comment period, will take a minimum of 30 days, with a 60 to 90 day period being more likely. It has not yet started.
The request has been made to allow export of meat from cattle less than 30 months of age, and live cattle less than 30 months of age destined for immediate slaughter in the U.S.
The U.S is currently not making any moves to re-open trade with Canada primarily because of its concerns about the impact such moves would have on its trading relationship with countries that follow the OIE guidelines.
The Canadian Cattlemen's Association and the Canadian Meat Council, along with the National Beef Cattlemen's Association and the National Meat Institute in the U.S., have submitted a joint letter to the USDA, the CFIA, and their respective federal governments, encouraging that the border be re-opened as soon as possible based on sound science, and science-based risk assessments.
Canada announced a specified risk material (SRM) ban from the human food chain, effective July 24, 2003. All SRM's (includes brain, spinal cord, skull, trigeminal ganglia, dorsal root ganglia, terminal ileum, eyes, and tonsils) must be removed from cattle 30 months of age and older slaughtered in any Canadian establishment as of that date. The terminal ileum (last segment of the small intestine) will also be removed from all cattle slaughtered under 30 months of age. Stepped up inspection and compliance will take place.
Although an SRM ban from feed has not been introduced yet, and there have been no changes in the regulations for feeding meat and bone meal (MBM) products to other species, some Japanese pork customers have demanded that pork products exported to Japan be certified as not having been fed MBM. The Ontario Pork Council has introduced a policy to prohibit MBM feeding to pigs that it markets.
Marketing options for live cattle are minimal at present. Feedlot placements are very slow, few markets have held sales, and prices are very unpredictable.
The BSE Recovery Program for price adjustment on slaughter cattle is in place. However, Manitoba cattle producers are having significant difficulty accessing slaughter facilities.
This program will terminate either at the end of August, or sooner if the allocated funds are utilized, leaving many Manitoba slaughter cattle on farms, and leaving most Manitoba producers without any compensation.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW

The farm of origin of the BSE infected cow is still unknown. The CFIA report indicated that there was a 95% probability that the cow was born in Canada on a farm in one of the two investigation lines; there is a 5% chance that she was part of an American importation of Angus cattle - some 25,000 head - that moved, unidentified onto Canadian farms in the late 1990's.
There has been no definitive decision made as to when, or if, the United States will open its borders to the importation of Canadian cattle or meat products.
Similarly, no decisions have been made regarding how that border may reopen. However, a staged re-opening starting with meat from cattle less than 30 months of age, and live cattle less than 30 months of age destined for immediate slaughter in the U.S., is the most likely scenario.
When or if the border will re-open for the movement of live cattle over 30 months of age, and breeding stock, is a much more contentious issue.
Markets for cull cows and bulls are almost non-existent - will they return by late fall?

WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON

The BSE Recovery Program group continues to deliver the program to Manitoba producers to the best of its ability.
A small group of MAF staff has been meeting regularly with the Deputy Minister and with representatives of MCPA to review the BSE Recovery Program, and to suggest modifications and improvements.
A working group on the rendering issue continues to meet regularly to address all the issues around the disposal of ruminant offal and deadstock. Rothsay continues to pick up the product for a fee. Deadstock pickups have been reduced since this policy was introduced. Due to the costs producers are disposing of their deadstock by other means including on-farm burial.
The rendering group is working with Manitoba Conservation to identify municipal landfills in the province that have the capacity and authority to accept offal and deadstock for burial.
Discussions have taken place with the AMM to facilitate municipal co-operation with deadstock and offal disposal. Logistics such as availability of equipment and operators to bury such materials have to be worked out.
MAF has struck a BSE Extension Planning Committee to assist livestock producers in making their individual management decisions, considering the extenuating circumstances they may be facing this fall.
VSB continues to develop contingency plans to deal with the anticipated increase in animal welfare concerns as producers struggle with increased costs, decreasing feed supplies, a shortage of financial reserves, and diminished marketing opportunities.
VSB is similarly making contingency plans for dealing with the potential issue of welfare slaughter of healthy animals that have no potential market into the human food chain.
The Pre-Approved Burial Site Committee that was active in 2002 has resumed meetings in an effort to identify locations where animals can be buried should a large scale slaughter and disposal action be required.
VSB is also working with CFIA and the other provincial veterinary authorities to develop a workable BSE surveillance program.
The cattle industry is proposing a feeding program to put cash in producer's hands for feed costs ($2.00/head/day) while waiting to access a slaughter facility.
The industry is also proposing a Phase 2 and 3 recovery program that would provide a cash advance to producers of grass cattle ($700/head) and cow-calf producers ($400/head) to move these classes of cattle into feedlots in an orderly fashion, with the advance to be repaid when the cattle are subsequently marketed.
Preliminary discussions have been held with Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization regarding the possibility of declaring a provincial state of emergency to deal with the deepening BSE crisis. Some R.M.'s have already taken this action due to drought conditions.
The Canadian Animal Health Coalition is working on three fronts:

Encouraging a more aggressive approach to introducing the changes recommended by the international panel in its report - SRM bans in food and feed, meat and bone meal feeding practices review, increased BSE surveillance, improvements in the animal ID, tracking and tracing program;
Preparing a document to be forwarded to the OIE encouraging a more rational response to countries reporting a low incidence of BSE; and
Revising and updating the economic impact assessment, including a controlled and coordinated response to the major issues anticipated - welfare slaughter, exit strategies as the industry rationalizes, human needs, etc.

Contacts

Manitoba Government contacts for the BSE issue are as follows:
MAF - Dr. Allan Preston - 945-7650
MB Conservation - Al Beck - 945-8553
MB Health - Public Health - Dr. Joel Kettner - 788-6666
Food safety - Jim Drew - 788-6745
Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association - Dr. Lisa Sawka - 889-3110

Allan Preston, D.V.M.
Director

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