WESTERN CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF BOVINE PRACTITIONERS
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Posted Week of July 28, 2003

FROM USDA BROADCASTER LETTER, AUGUST 1, 2003
Reaction to Japan’s Proposed Increase in Import Tax
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman responded to Japan’s decision to increase import tax. "The announcement that Japan intends to increase import tax on U.S. beef on August 1, 2003, is both unnecessary and unwarranted. I stressed to Japanese Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei during our meeting earlier this month that this action was not needed since Japan’s beef imports have not increased over historical levels. Pursuant to Article 12 of the Tariff Act, we will be formally requesting that the Japanese government waive the safeguard so as to bring the tariff back to its pre-safeguard level of 38.5 percent," said Veneman. "The recent trade patterns are a result of the consumption changes following Japan’s BSE outbreak in September 2001. A recent survey of Japanese consumers showed that 78 percent of those surveyed opposed the increased tax…last year the United States exported more than $500 million worth of chilled beef to Japan. I urge the Japanese government to move expeditiously to rescind this tax increase." Contact: Alisa Harrison (202) 720-4623.

FROM AGRIWORLD AUGUST 1, 2003
China to re-educate farmers
China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced its intention to invest US$6.024 million, over the next 3 years, to train farmers in modern methods. (1-8-03)

Farmers make up 60% (800 million) of China's population and a national census showed that 90% of Chinese farmers did not get a high school education, only 5% of the rural population have received any systematic technological training.

  1. Since becoming a member of the World Trade Organisation China faces tough overseas competition and modernisation in farming and urbanisation is forcing more farmers to find alternative jobs.

The project aims to help Chinese farmers find better jobs in the agricultural sector.

Li Zueyong, vice minister of MOST, said it was imperative to give farmers more opportunities to learn modern technology.

The Spark Program was initiated by MOST in 1985.

The ministry has already set up more than 5,000 education bases throughout the country, training over 70 million rural people.

FROM THE CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY (CFIA) JULY, 2003
Editor’s note: Looking for the full story on CFIA’s assessment of and response to the BSE occurrence in Alberta? Go to:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/bseesb/evale.shtml

FROM MANITOBA AGRICULTURE AND FOOD (www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture) JULY, 2003
Disposal of mortalities must be in accordance with section 15 of the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation under The Environment Act. This regulation provides for proper disposal of livestock carcasses by way of rendering, composting, incineration or burial where environmental conditions are suitable (i.e. does not cause pollution to surface water, groundwater or soil). Mortalities must be stored in a secure manner (so as to both contain all carcass contents and prevent access by scavengers) and must be kept in either a refrigerated or frozen state if retained for more than 48 hours after death.

The Burial Site
The location selected should be away from major traffic areas and out of public view. The selected burial area should be accessible to the disposal delivery vehicle such that the deadstock can be deposited directly into the pit. Areas with a high groundwater level or shallow aquifers shall be avoided. The burial site shall be at least 100 metres from any surface watercourse, sinkhole, spring or well. The site should be situated in clay-type soils to prevent any leachate from escaping into the aquifers. Burial sites must be durable enough to prevent escape of decomposition products that may cause pollution to surface water, groundwater or soil. Surface water runoff from precipitation should be directed away from the burial site.

Burial
The pit should be excavated to a size suitable to handle and manage the expected volume, and only wide enough to allow for dumping of the delivery vehicle without spillover. There should be no physical handling of deadstock by the operator. Prior to burial, a chemical such as lime could be spread over/under the carcass(es) in the pit to help promote degradation and prevent odours. The deadstock in the pit shall be covered with a minimum of one metre of impermeable material. The cover material should be mounded over the pit in order to direct runoff away from the site and to minimize infiltration through the pit.

Maintenance
The burial site should be inspected regularly to ensure scavengers have not excavated the site. As the mounded cover subsides, more impermeable material should be added to maintain the mound.

*This protocol is not appropriate for disposal of mass mortalities. Contact an Environment Officer for information should mass mortalities require disposal.