OTTAWA, (Jan. 11, 2005) — Canadian cattle farmers and beef industry workers looking forward to an open U.S. border this spring may have taken another severe blow as a second mad cow in as many weeks has been discovered in Alberta.

Officials are investigating yet another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) — also known as mad cow disease — in a cow younger than the one confirmed just 10 days ago.

That brings the number of homegrown cattle diagnosed with the brain-wasting disease to four-including one originating in Alberta but found in Washington State December 2003, as well as the original Alberta cow, which sparked a 19-month border closure to live cattle exports seven months before in May 2003.

The ban has since cost the Canadian cattle industry an estimated $5 billion.

Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell told reporters today that the discovery is “not unexpected.” He said no part of the infected animal made its way into the human or animal food supply.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made good on a promise by President George Bush and announced the border would reopen to live cattle under 30 months of age and beef from animals of any age on March 7, 2005. (Currently only boneless cuts of beef from younger animals are allowed).

The USDA held firm to the planned schedule despite the third BSE discovery two weeks ago, saying that officials factored in the possibility of future mad cow cases when making the decision to lift the ban on Canadian cattle. In the rule the agency noted that Canada could have up to a dozen cases annually without affecting the country’s recent “minimal risk” status.

Today, the USDA released a statement saying, “We remain confident that the animal and public health measures that Canada has in place to prevent BSE, combined with existing U.S. domestic safeguards, provide the utmost protections to U.S. consumers and livestock … We will continue our ongoing work with Canadian officials in their epidemiological investigations to determine the facts of these cases.”

While the agency did not say if the new case would affect the border opening, it did not immediately reiterate its backing of the plan as it did two weeks ago. “As always, protection of public and animal health is our top priority,” the agency said. “The result of our investigation and analysis will be used to evaluate appropriate next steps in regard to the minimal risk rule published last week.”

Some Canadian beef industry workers aren’t too optimistic that, after this new case, the Bush administration will be able to withstand vocal opposition from U.S. cattle farmers and protectionist interests who are demanding the government abandon its plan to open the border. Last week, the United Stockgrowers filed a federal lawsuit against the government in an attempt to stop the March 7 opening.

Keith Horsburgh, owner of Brooks, Alta-based Grace Cattle Carriers and President of the Alberta Livestock Carriers Association says it’s déjà vu all over again. “I always get accused of being the eternal optimist but I’m very pessimistic about this. This should put a good dent in things,” he told Today’s Trucking this afternoon. “I would imagine they might now go back to politics instead of science. If they paid attention to science in the first place, the border would have been opened a long time ago.”

However, he’s hoping U.S. President George Bush reaffirms his commitment to the border opening initiative.

“All we can hope for is that because this is a directive from the President of the United states, it carries a fair bit of clout,” he says. “Hopefully (U.S. anti-trade interests) would have a pretty good fight on their hands if they want to step on the president’s toes.”

Even if the March reopening is on schedule, Horsburgh doesn’t think there’ll be a mad dash for the border. He says that the Canadian industry, which has been forced to diversify since May 2003, will not be able to gear up in time.

“You’re not going to see hundreds of trucks looking to get cattle over the border even if it does open March 7,” he says. “There’s such a stigmatism in the livestock hauling sector because of the uncertainty of what’s going to happen. Until we see something written in stone and things actually start moving again, I don’t think your going see that trust yet.”

— with files from Canadian Press