From the Western Producer
P. 1: Canadian action could delay open border: U.S. rancher By Mary MacArthur Camrose bureau Canadian producers who stop cattle owned by members of the U.S.-based R-CALF group from being slaughtered in Canada are hurting their own cause of trying to get the U.S. border opened, says a Montana member of the U.S. protectionist group."All they're going to do is stall the time for opening the border. We've been working hard down here to try to get an organized opening of it, through R-CALF, the organization you guys all think is against you," said Lloyd DeBruycker of Dutton, Mont."We've been trying to get it open. The more they fight it, the worse it's going to get."He said R-CALF should not be blamed for keeping the border closed. American agriculture secretary Ann Veneman, who ignored the rules for importing Canadian meat, forced R-CALF to get a judge to grant a temporary restraining order to prevent an easing of restrictions on Canadian beef from entering the U.S., DeBruycker said. He added that convincing Cargill and Lakeside packing plants in Alberta not to slaughter cattle owned by members of R-CALF will backfire by keeping Americans from buying Canadian cattle this fall. Without American money, few people will see high calf prices as they did last fall, he said. It is estimated 40,000-80,000 head of American cattle are on feed in Canadian feedlots."What they (large Canadian feedlots) are against is Americans buying feeder cattle again this fall because if they can get the American dollar out of the feeder market, both packers and the larger feedlots are going to be able to buy their feeders for practically nothing. That's what they're after," said DeBruycker. Southern Alberta feedlot operator Rick Paskal, who spearheaded the blockade of R-CALF cattle, said DeBruycker is not working to reopen the border. Paskal pointed to a letter from R-CALF president Leo McDonnell soliciting money from its members to continue challenging any relaxation of rules that keep Canadian beef and cattle out of the U.S. It's clear R-CALF will continue to challenge any USDA rulings to reopen the border, said Paskal. DeBruycker said his organization would like to see an orderly reopening of the border that wouldn't lower prices for American cattle with an influx of Canadian animals. He discussed the idea with Paskal and a group of other Canadian producers this summer, but relations soured. Paskal said his patience with industry and government over the border reopening has worn out."What are we supposed to do? Sit down here and take it? I think we've done that long enough."Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, said while DeBruycker can talk about plans for an orderly border reopening, the final decision rests with USDA officials.
