| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Misti Pilster |
| March 16, 2004 | (406) 444-2402
TTY (406) 444-4687 |
Animal Health Issues Top Agenda at Tri-National Meeting
HELENA, Mont. — Animal health and consumer confidence issues highlighted discussions as state and provincial agriculture officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada met for four days last week in Jalisco, Mexico.
"We had constructive discussions on a wide range of trade issues including country-of-origin labeling, agricultural biotechnology and how our respective governments deal with animal diseases and the importation of livestock," says Ralph Peck, who chaired a U.S.-Canada Working Group at the 14th annual meeting of the Tri-National Agricultural Accord.
The meetings March 10-13, hosted by the Mexican state of Jalisco, were attended by secretaries, commissioners, directors and senior government officials from five Canadian provinces, 22 U.S. states and 18 Mexican states.
During the meetings, federal officials in Canada announced they were relaxing standards on the importation of live feeder cattle from 39 U.S. states including Montana. Delegates discussed the details of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announcement regarding bluetongue and anaplasmosis - two animal diseases that are uncommon in Canada and northern U.S. states.
Peck expressed disappointment that the policy change still would not permit the free flow of cattle from Montana and other U.S. states into Canadian herds. Rather, the new policy allows the year-round import of cattle into specially designated feedlots from which cattle are sent to slaughter.
Mexican and Canadian members expressed their continuing opposition to U.S. country-of-origin labeling, and agreed they would send a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman outlining their concerns. State directors from the United States favor a simplified, less costly method of designating country of origin.
Members of the Animal Health Subcommittee of the U.S.-Canada Working Group pledged during the meeting to work with federal officials from the two countries a variety of animal health issues. Among them:
-- Sharing of scientific research and information regarding the handling and disposal of specified risk materials: the brain, spinal cord and other tissues thought to be the main method of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE disease in cattle.
-- Surveillance and testing methods for BSE, and measures needed to maintain consumer confidence in beef.
-- Harmonization of animal health standards for BSE, anaplasmosis, blue tongue, brucellosis and tuberculosis. The five diseases also were discussed at a September meeting in Boise, Idaho, that included state agriculture directors and commissioners and several of their counterparts from Canada. Marc Bridges, executive director of the Montana Board of Livestock, accompanied Director Peck to both meetings.
The Mexican delegation was headed by Dr. Jorge Zertuche Rodriguez, director general of Rural Development, Forestry and Fisheries for the state of Tamaulipas and the president of the Mexican Association of Secretaries of Agricultural and Livestock Development. The Canadian delegation was headed by Rosann Wowchuk, deputy premier and minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives for the Province of Manitoba.
The U.S. delegation was headed by Gene Hugoson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
The 2005 Tri-National Accord meeting will be held in the United States at
a location yet to be decided.
