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PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2004.
Sheep producers continue to suffer over BSE
Still affected
Bethanee Jensen, a sheep farmer near Be!grave, is feeling the effects from the BSE crisis
despite the recent Ottawa meeting where the Canadian lamb industry leaders presented a
recovery strategy to federal officials. (Elyse DeBruyn photo)
By Elyse DeBruyn
Citizen staff
After the Canadian Sheep Industry
made a recent presentation to federal
officials. a very tight timeline has
been set to further develop the
framework around the industry's
recovery strategy from the effects' of
BSE.
Industry leaders gathered in
Ottawa early last week to hear the
recovery proposal made by the
Canadian Sheep Industry to both
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
and Canadian Food Inspection
Agency officials.
Net cash receipts for Canadian
sheep producers during the first half
of 2004 were down approximately
35 per cent. On July 1, livestock
inventories reported nearly 50,000
additional market lambs were on
farm this year and these lambs are
expected to come to market this fall,
causing further havoc in Canadian
markets.
Bethanee Jensen. a sheep farmer
near Belgrave, said sheep farmers
have been hurt the same way as beef.
farmers have.
"No ruminant animals are getting
across the border and that is hurting
everybody," she said.
Jensen who is. selling registered
purebred breeding stock Dorsets (a
white-faced maternal breed of
sheep), said she has "suffered great
losses" since the BSE, hit.
She said in June 2003, just before
"the market took a dive" she would
sell a 100-pound lamb for $140 each,
but this year she averaged about $80
a lamb. She is also trying to sell her
ewes for $200 each and her rams for
$400 each.
She said before the crisis she was
selling about 75 per cent of her
lambs, now she is selling "maybe 20
per cent."
Jensen said there is no reason for
the border to be closed to sheep, let
alone beef, other than "all ruminants
are lumped together" in one
category, prohibiting any to cross the
border.
Broad representation of the sheep
industry including primary
producers and the feedlot sector
through to processing and retail,
livestock supplies, wool collection
and marketing were on hand to make
presentations regarding the impact
of the trade cnsis on their farms,
businesses, communities and
respective provinces.
Representing Ontario at the Sheep
Summit were John Hemsted. chair
of Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency
and the Agency's general manager,
Cathy Lennon as well as Jay Lewis
of Holstein representing the feedlot
sector and Tony Facciolo, vice-
president of the Ontario Independent
Meat Processors.
Hemsted reported the key outcome
of the summit was the establishment—
of a joint industry/ government task
force, which will work on a tight
timeline to develop the recovery
strategy.
"I was encouraged with minister
Mitchell's commitment to move
quickly on a number of priority
issues that we've identified for our
industry," said Hemsted. "There are
'other components however which
will require additional time to flesh
out fully."
This is the role of the task force,
which will meet for the first time on
Oct. 18.
CoMponents of the strategy
included investment in federally-
inspected processing capacity, a ewe
lamb retention program, market and
industry development, improved
traceability and scrapie surveillance.
Jensen said she thinks to get long-
term effects, Canada needs to get its
own federally-inspected slaughter
plants "so the country doesn't have
to rely on export market."
"We don't have enough sheep in
Canada to supply the demand that's
there already," she said._ "The
problem is Canada is importing New
Zealand lambs because we don't
have federal inspection to use our
own.".
Jensen said freezer lamb is
inspected by provincial inspectors,
but the meat "must stay in the
province."
Unfortunately, big-chain grocery
stores have stores all across Canada,
but in order for them to ship the lamb
out of Ontario, a federal inspection
needs to be done. Also, Ontario
doesn't have federal inspection
plant, only a provincial one thus
lambs can't be shipped to other
provinces.
"So if we could stop imports and
start processing our own meat, we
wouldn't have this problem," said
Jensen.
She said the reason there isn't
situation. They think farmers are
crying because they are always
crying, but what they don't
understand is a country that can't
feed itself is a Third World country."
Since the sheep industry is hurting
just as much as the beef, Jensen said
to help make- ends meet, she sells
wool blankets and sheep skins as a
product from her sheep farm.
"It comes down to a few bucks
here and a few bucks there.
Whatever puts food on the table,"
she said.
She said although the little amount
of money that the government is
giving farmers is appreciated, it's not
the solution to the problem.
"Giving money to help farmers is
like a bandaid approach. It's not
going to fix the problem," she said.
Jensen said it's not a question
whether the government is doing
enough to help farmers, but whether
it's doing the right thing.
"The government needs to have
some backbone and stand up for
Canadians," she said.
She is sticking with the idea of
opening more federal inspection
plants and to clbse the border to
imports.
"It's going to take a long time to
get the backlog of animals through,
but at least it's a step in the right
direction. Eventually it would
balance out."
Jensen said she isn't scared for the
future because if the sheep industry
doesn't bounce back, she "will do
something else, but won't get out of
farming in one way or the other."
"I enjoy farming too much to quit,
but if it comes down to it. I don't
have to farm sheep," said Jensen. "I
figure I work hard enough producing
commodity to feed others in this
country without having to get a job
to support feeding others.-
-
OP S L.
0 hg the way
Listing correction
In the Fall & Winter edition
of Stops Along the Way
the date for the Seaforth
Farm Toy, Sports Card,
Teddy Bear, Doll and
Craft Show is incorrectly
stated. The dates are
Nov. 27, 28 from 10 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m.
enough federal inspection plants is
because this "hasn't been a problem
until now."
She said before BSE hit, Canada
could ship to the U.S. and buy it
back as packaged meat, but
Canadians haven't closed the border.
so the U.S. is still shipping back
packaged meat, although Canada
i.,n't exporting any.
"If they would close the border we
could feed our own people," said
Jensen. "It gets even worse because
urban people don't understand the