The Rural Voice, 1983-05, Page 34FOOT AND MOUTH
VACCINE BANK
Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan
announced the signing of an agreement
with the U.S. and Mexico to jointly
establish a North American foot and
mouth disease vaccine bank.
The cost of establishing the bank will
be shared by the three nations based on
each country's total cattle population.
Canada will pay eight per cent, or
$156,000 (U.S. funds), Mexico 20 per
FARM ADVICE
cent and the U.S. the remaining 72 per
cent. As well, each nation will pay a
similar percentage of the annual over-
head costs, about $8,000 a year for
Canada.
The vaccine will be stored where it is
manufactured in the U.S. Animal Disease
Center on Plum Island off the New York
state coast and in West Germany.
Agriculture Canada would monitor pro-
duction and packaging of any vaccine
imported by Canada to ensure that safety
standards are met.
Manufactured vaccine would be im-
ported only if standard procedures were
not enough to control the spread of the
disease. The vaccine could be used to
limit an outbreak until usual procedures
THIS MONTH'S MAILBOX
This mailbox must belong to a very optimistic farmer - it's located in Colborne
township in Huron County.
PG. 32 THE RURAL VOICE, MAY 1983
for detection and slaughter could elimi-
nate the disease.
The agreement, signed by Mr. Whelan,
John Block, the U.S. Secretary of Agri-
culture, and Mexico's Secretary of Agri-
culture and Water Resources, Francisco
Merino Rabago, also calls for the es-
tablishment of a high-level commission
to set policy for the bank and a technical
advisory committee.
The bank, the first of its kind
anywhere. could eventually become part
of a worldwide bank that is being
considered by the United Nations' Food
and Agricultural Organization.C;
DEVELOPMENT OF CANOLA
PRODUCES BOOK
An outstanding scientific reference
text assembled by Agriculture Canada on
Canadian canola development and pro-
duction will be available to the public in
May.
The 624 -page color -illustrated volume
on the widely -used oilseed is called
"High and Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oil:
Production, Usage, Chemistry and Toxi-
cological Evaluation." Canola is the
Canadian term for the rapeseed variant
grown almost universally in Canada and
developed for its low content of erucic
acid, considered a nutritional asset.
Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan
said the book is a testimony to what can
be achieved through the collaboration of
the private sector, co-operatives, univer-
sities and government in designing
research programs for the development
and adaptation of food products for
Canadian conditions and to meet inter-
national demand. Canola now is the
source of about half the vegetable oil
consumed in Canada.
Material for the book was compiled by
Agriculture Canada's Research Branch, a
major player in canola development, in
the form of chapters by 23 experts from
government, universities and the rape-
seed industry.
The idea for the book grew out of an
Agriculture Canada submission to the
United States Food and Drug Administra-
tion on behalf of the canola industry to
obtain clearance for distribution of
canola as an edible oil in that country.
The U.S. decision is still pending.
It was felt that the book was timely
because of the growing importance of
canola in international trade and as a
Canadian cash crop.