07/25/06 Canada changes bluetongue policy

American Rancher July 25, 2006 It is finally official. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has revised its import policy to eliminate current bluetongue related control measures for cattle, sheep and other ruminants imported from the United States. USDA Deputy Undersecretary Chuck Lambert, elaborates. Lambert: "This lifting regarding bluetongue is especially important because Canada has also removed their restrictions related to BSE on U.S. breeding cattle." And Lambert says such loosened restrictions should benefit U.S. producers along the U.S. - Canadian border in particular. Lambert: "Some of those producers in the past have grazed livestock in the summer in Canada so the ability for those livestock to move back and forth across the border in the absence of these testing requirements is important." And there are some other practical cattle management benefits. Lambert: "In many cases just from a day-to-day management standpoint, it is also very important from the standpoint of genetics and moving seedstock and sale of breeding bulls and breeding heifers into Canada as well." With elimination of its bluetongue controls Canadian officials say they will step up surveillance for the disease, which along with ongoing research and risk assessments, is intended to provide ongoing confirmation that risks to Canadian livestock remains very low. I'm Bob Hoff.