US embassy cable - 04HALIFAX42

UNCLAS HALIFAX 000042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EAGR, CA, Beef, Agriculture, Trade, Nova Scotia 
SUBJECT: MAD COWS AND THE MARITIMES 
 
1.  Although the BSE crisis has had less of an impact in 
Maritime Canada than in the west, the fallout from mad cow 
disease has been significant in this region, too.  Prior to the 
BSE discovery Maritime provinces sold live cattle and beef 
across the border to the U.S., but more importantly raised 
cattle which were sold to fill out herds in Ontario and further 
west.  Since live cattle have stopped moving across the border, 
overall demand for Maritime beef and dairy cattle has dropped 
significantly. 
 
2.  In Nova Scotia, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Chris 
D'Entrement recently asked CG to relay to Washington the parlous 
state of cattle ranchers in the province and to urge a speedy 
resumption in cross-border trade.  He noted that while the 
industry was not huge by Canadian or U.S. standards, for a less 
well-to-do province like Nova Scotia it made a big contribution 
to the agriculture sector and to employment.  Premier John Hamm 
announced that the province was going to launch a marketing 
campaign ("Brand Nova Scotia") to encourage consumers to buy 
local beef.  He also said that the provincial government, which 
serves 23,000 meals a day in various institutions, would seek to 
buy home-grown beef to meet its needs. 
 
3.  In Prince Edward Island, where the economy is heavily 
dependent on agriculture, both Premier Pat Binns and deputy 
opposition leader Richard Brown made a point of telling CG that 
their beef industry was suffering as well, and urged a speedy 
resumption of cross-border trade.  Both drew parallels to U.S. 
restrictions several years ago on imports of PEI potatoes.  MP 
Wayne Easter has taken the issue a step further, calling 
restrictions on beef trade "economic violence" and saying that 
Canada ought to "play hardball" with the U.S. to get the border 
re-opened for beef and cattle. 
 
4.  COMMENT:  In responding to these and other questions about 
BSE-related restrictions on beef and cattle trade, we have made 
the point that it is in everyone's interest to have a 
science-based system that maintains public confidence in the 
integrity of the food supply.  Most of our interlocutors -- with 
the possible exception of Easter -- agree in principle that that 
is the right approach.  They just wish that things could move 
faster.  END COMMENT. 
 
HILL