(File photo/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Canadian cattle could see change in BSE status this spring

Mar 16, 2021 | 4:23 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — Groups that represent the country’s cattle producers are pleased to see Canada one step closer to being recognized as negligible risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Scientific Commission is recommending granting this status.

Saskatchewan Stock Growers general manager Chad McPherson said negligible risk status would help expand access to foreign markets for various products currently limited by BSE era restrictions. He said it’s something cattle producers have been hoping for.

“If we were successful in having that done, that would level the playing field with all the other major beef exporters globally that we compete with which would be great news for the Canadian beef processing and cattle industry,” McPherson said.

This will result in improved market access for bone in animals over 30 months as well as some by-products, according to McPherson.

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“This is very good news. I’m optimistic that after we have our BSE status improved, it will benefit the Canadian cattle industry greatly,” he said.

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) president Bob Lowe said it is an important step forward for the beef industry.

“The recommendation by the OIE’s Scientific Commission to grant Canada the negligible status for BSE risk is an important first step,” Lowe said. “CCA respects the OIE review process and will await the final determination in May.”

CCA worked closely with the federal government on the application. Member countries have sixty days to ask for any information included in the BSE dossier from Canada. The recommendation will then be put to vote by the delegates at the OIE General Assembly at the end of May.

If the restrictions are removed, it would mark 18 years since the initial case of BSE was reported in Alberta. Canada’s last reported case of BSE was in 2015.

Roughly 30,000 head of Canadian cattle go through the BSE Surveillance Program each year.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

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