Pat's Note: Let's take this slowly.

The first part is the Canadian piggy boys interpretation of the impact
of COOL. It is a bit optimistic.

The second part is the position of the US pig industry.

The Canadians have admitted they have MRSA, and that it is the piggy
form, found in both pigs and pork. They have not linked it to MRSA,
publicly, although they too have big MRSA and C.Diff problems in their
hospitals in pig producing areas.

They, and their US importer partners are afraid that if the US public
get to believe there is a risk attached to Canadian pork, they will
only buy US, which will devastate the Canadian pig industries sales of
live  piglets and pork to the US.

The big development is that, despite the US government's refusal to
test the pigs so far despite pressure, US academics, largely thanks to
Burkie ringing some of them up and visiting others, have tested US
pork, pigs and people and found piggy MRSA ST398.

So, the potential problem for the Canadians is easing. The US consumer
will get to know that all pigs and pork may have MRSA and won't
discriminate against Canadian pork in favour of US only produce.

Like the Dutch, the Canadians acted sensibly given a major problem,
the US did the same thanks to people like Gary Burkholder.

The British thanks to their bent vets have blown it. In the end they
are going to have to admit the problems.

That  makes us  the first to have problems and the last to admit it.
me.

You don't need a scapegoat when you have a country run by dumb
veterinarians to blame for animal and human epidemics sweeping the
globe.


http://www.saskpork.com/content/for_producers/farmscape.cfm?guid=2932

2932 - M-COOL Expected to be Less Onerous than Originally Feared
Audio Saskatchewan 

Dr. Steve Meyer - Paragon Economics

Farmscape for August 13, 2008 (Episode 2932)

Paragon Economics says the USDA's interim final rule for Mandatory
Country of Origin Labeling will be less onerous for the red meat
sector than originally feared. 

On July 30 the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued its interim final
rule for Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling. 

M-COOL is scheduled to take effect September 30 but USDA will conduct
education and outreach during the first six months to allow industry
to adapt. 

The legislation will require beef, lamb, chicken, pork, goat,
perishable agricultural commodities, macadamia nuts, pecans, ginseng
and peanuts to be labelled according to their Country of origin. 

Paragon Economics president Dr. Steve Meyer says the rules appear more
flexible than originally feared.

Clip-Dr. Steve Meyer-Paragon Economics 

We're going to have, it looks like, four unique labels here, one
dealing with meat, one dealing potentially with pigs born raised and
slaughtered in the U.S. that could be product of the U.S. and then a
multiple origin label that covers those pigs and the ones that are
also brought in as feeder animals and then of course the label that
says product of Canada and the U.S. for those brought in for direct
slaughter.

That combination label does provide our packers a lot of flexibility
on using pigs. 

If there's a retailer that finds value in just having product of the
U.S. they can deliver that. 

If there's a retailer that says my customers don't see Canada being in
any way an inferior product, product of the U.S. and Canada, they may
find that label perfectly acceptable. 

So the way the rule is written provides more flexibility than we
thought we were going to get out of this and I think it's very good
for our packers. 

It's good for producers because it creates more of a flexible market
especially for those weaned pigs and feeder pigs that come in from
Canada.

Dr. Meyer acknowledges there may be some price differential between
U.S. and Canadian market hogs but he's confident it will not be as
negative as originally had been feared. 

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

      *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork
Council  

-- 
Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release the results of testing British pigs for MRSA and C.Diff now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com  and http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.com/