041127 Canada Pushes to Resume Canada/US Beef Trade

Red Deer, AB - Premier Ralph Klein plans to personally go beat the bushes in Washington, D.C. if a resumption of trade in live Canadian cattle is not soon resumed. Klein says if he is re-elected he will travel to the U.S. capital to again argue for the end of the 18-month ban -- brought on by a lone case of mad cow disease in May 2003 -- with, he hopes, his one-time fishing partner Republican Vice-President Dick Cheney.

Klein says he will make the trip if the issue -- now in the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- hits any further delays.

"I will certainly go to Washington if it is absolutely necessary," Klein said yesterday while campaigning in the Red Deer area.

"If I see any snags -- any untoward intervention or litigation that may prevent the comment period process from going ahead then I'll be on a plane down to Washington."

Klein yesterday reiterated the Tory's six-point BSE recovery program aimed at propping up the Alberta beef industry.

In addition to providing about $630 million worth of disaster assistance programs, Klein also wants to increase slaughter capacity, encourage producers to keep animals off the market and increase testing.

Agriculture Minister Shirley McClellan said increasing slaughter capacity will help raise cattle prices and improve the market.

"This is a plan that doesn't depend on the U.S. border re-opening to work," she said. "If the U.S. border re-opens, some parts of it will just naturally just go away like the set-aside (portion) because it won't be as critical."

She said ranchers could see a resumption of trade as early as late winter or early spring, depending on how long the U.S. process of introducing new rules takes to complete.

"It's very encouraging," she said, of comments from USDA secretary Ann Veneman and the U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci who says there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"This industry is, of course, hurting but ... prices are strong and that is the good news."

The Liberals are advocating the appointment of a beef czar who would be tasked with moving the industry forward, set a monthly slaughter cap of 10% on the self-owned herds of the big three packers, and restrict market-share of the larger meat processors until healthy market conditions return.

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