A42-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16, 2003 Ontario Ag Minister Visits Pa. For Trade Talk (Continued from Page A 1) cials are hard at work ensuring trade partners that both their meat and live cattle are safe for export. They are asking for trade to re turn to normal as soon as possi ble. The U.S. closed the border to Canadian beef and other rumi nant meat when bovine spongi form encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, was discovered May 20 in an aged beef cow in the western Canadian province of Alberta. Helen Johns, Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food, paid a visit to Pennsylvania this week to ask ag leaders for support in moving ahead quickly to reopen the U.S. border to Canadian beef and live cattle. The Tuesday visit from Johns and several other members of her department came four days after USDA Secretary Ann Veneman announced that “after thorough scientific’analysis” the U.S. will begin accepting permits for im porting certain boxed ruminant meats and wild game meat from Canada. Imports are expected to begin in early September. Mexico also announced early this week that it will be partially lifting its ban on Canadian beef, in terms similar to the U.S. deci sion. Johns met with Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff and representatives from state ag organizations, including PennAg Industries, the Pennsyl vania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Pennsylvania Beef Council, Pennsylvania Farm Bu reau, Pennsylvania Farmers Union, and the State Grange. Others representing the Pennsyl vania Department of Agriculture included John Enck, state veteri narian, and Russ Redding, dep uty secretary. Johns said she came here for help because Pennsylvania is a AMISHTOWN GENERAL STORE, LLC Hardware • Tools • Martin Senour Paints PEWALt ItiaKila OBOSTITCHI Nuts & Bolts By The Pound Animal Health Supplies Air Compressors & Fittings, Plumbing Supplies, Lawn & Garden, Volleyball & Croquet Sets, Trikes, Scooters, Express Wagons 147-A Amishtown Rd. New Holland, PA 17557 Phone: 717-355-9400 Open M-F 6A M -6 PM Thurs night till BPM Sal 7AM -2 PM Bovine 1 Nu-Health 25 lb. pail . $5OO During August 2003 For increased milk production & better herd health in cows. Huber’s Animal Health Supplies SlOTulpehocken Road, Myerstown, PA 17067 717-866-2246 Mon 7 30 a m to 6 p m , Thurs & Fn. 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m key importer of cattle from Onta rio, including dairy animals. “We wanted to educate peo ple,” Johns said of her trip to Harrisburg. “We wanted people to understand that it was one cow in Alberta (with BSE). We wanted people to understand our food safety system.” While the USDA is opening the border to boxed meat im ports, Johns said it also needs to be reopened for live cattle in order for Ontario to recover from an economic slump caused by the export ban and to stabilize the North American beef market. Complicating the issue is Ja pan’s refusal to import any U.S.- processed beef that may have originated in Canada. Japan is the top importer of U.S. beef. According to a recent post on the USDA Website, the USDA be lieves Japan’s decision to ban Ca nadian beef is unnecessary, but will continue working with Japan to keep markets open. In the past 13 weeks, Ontario has lost $245 million in revenue because of the border closing, according to Johns. The province produces about 20 percent of the beef raised in Canada, she said. At risk is Ontario’s $1 billion annual cattle and meat export trade, with 60 percent of that market represented by live cattle, according to Derek Nelson, com munication specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, In 2002, Ontario ex- ported $803.5 mil- lion worth of food products to Pennsylva- nia alone. Of that amount, $206 million was from live cattle and other ruminants, beef and other ruminant meats, feed, and pet food, according to a fact sheet provided by the Onta rio Ministry of Agriculture and Food. About half of the $206 mil lion came from live cattle that went to Pennsylvania packing operations. mms - Spreader Tanks 2750-9500 Gal. - Lagoon Pumps -Vertical Pumps - Electric Pumps - Alley Scrapers - Underground Piston Pumps MAKE US YOUR WASTE HANDLING HEADQ Visit us at the AG PROGRESS Days on West 6th Street “It does affect meat processing centers in Pennsylvania,” said Ag Secretary Wolff, noting that the state’s total meat processing in dustry leads the nation. Wolff also said the situation has decreased dairy cow numbers and milk production in the state, because Canada has been a sig nificant source of dairy replace ment stock. While the impact on milk pro duction might be boosting U.S. milk markets somewhat and the border closing has pumped up beef prices Wolff called it a “knee jerk reaction” to focus on these gains over the long-term benefits of a stable trade relation ship with Canada. But Wolff acknowledged the limited scope of Pennsylvania’s role in easing the trade block. “You have to understand that Washington has not asked our opinion in this matter,” he told Johns. (Turn to Page A 46) SNOOK’S EQUIPMENT 41 Wildwood Rd., Mifflinburg, PA 17844 570-966-2736 Ask for Ernest or Dean 6300, 5250 & 3600 Gal. ireaders Available For Rant Helen Johns, Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food, with Pennsylvania Ag Secretary Dennis Wolff at the PDA building Tuesday. Photo by Dave Lefever “We’re Here To Serve You” Cali For Pricing on our RENTAL NITS /♦*< 4 " - Vacuum Tanks 1500-6,000 Gal. -Track Mounted Vacuum Units - Vacuum Pumps - Various Accessories • Valves • • Fittings • Suction Hoses ARTERS
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