CKohalyk
25th June 2003, 00:44
Klein says Japan threat keeping U.S. border closed to beef
Last Updated Tue, 24 Jun 2003 19:01:22
WASHINGTON - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein had lunch with representatives of the U.S. agriculture and meat industries Tuesday to try to end the U.S. ban on Canadian beef.
The U.S. border has been closed to Canadian beef since May 20 when a single cow was diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease.
Klein went to Washington to try to influence politicians to lift the ban.
"Now it's time to accept the science and let common sense prevail, and get the emotion out of this. Get the emotion and the stupidity out of it," he said.
Klein says there is support for lifting the ban, but a new demand from Japan and South Korea has become a major stumbling block.
"They say the ban would have been lifted if this problem had not occurred with Japan," said Klein.
Japan and South Korea have told the U.S. they will block American beef imports unless they are clearly labelled as being born in the U.S.
Klein says there's no way to do that.
"That's virtually impossible because the American system and the Canadian system are totally integrated. You can't tell an American cow from a Canadian cow, because cows don't have passports, for one thing," said Klein.
Richard Kewpher of the American Farm Bureau Federation says the U.S. is taking the import threat from Japan and South Korea seriously.
"Well, they are a major buyer of our product and we have to protect our market," said Kewpher.
A Japanese delegation is also in Canada this week to do a review of Canada's investigation into the source of the country's only case of mad cow disease.
Klein says he hopes to make some progress when he talks to U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney on Wednesday.
The closed U.S. border is costing the Canadian cattle industry $11 million a day.
Last Updated Tue, 24 Jun 2003 19:01:22
WASHINGTON - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein had lunch with representatives of the U.S. agriculture and meat industries Tuesday to try to end the U.S. ban on Canadian beef.
The U.S. border has been closed to Canadian beef since May 20 when a single cow was diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease.
Klein went to Washington to try to influence politicians to lift the ban.
"Now it's time to accept the science and let common sense prevail, and get the emotion out of this. Get the emotion and the stupidity out of it," he said.
Klein says there is support for lifting the ban, but a new demand from Japan and South Korea has become a major stumbling block.
"They say the ban would have been lifted if this problem had not occurred with Japan," said Klein.
Japan and South Korea have told the U.S. they will block American beef imports unless they are clearly labelled as being born in the U.S.
Klein says there's no way to do that.
"That's virtually impossible because the American system and the Canadian system are totally integrated. You can't tell an American cow from a Canadian cow, because cows don't have passports, for one thing," said Klein.
Richard Kewpher of the American Farm Bureau Federation says the U.S. is taking the import threat from Japan and South Korea seriously.
"Well, they are a major buyer of our product and we have to protect our market," said Kewpher.
A Japanese delegation is also in Canada this week to do a review of Canada's investigation into the source of the country's only case of mad cow disease.
Klein says he hopes to make some progress when he talks to U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney on Wednesday.
The closed U.S. border is costing the Canadian cattle industry $11 million a day.