Alberta Boom Puts New Pressure On Ranchers
US - People who raise beef cattle in Alberta say they survived the BSE crisis only to face a whole new set of challenges brought on by the province's booming economy.
28 August 2007
1 minute read
| The U.S. border is still not open to Canadian cattle over 30 month of age, animals normally used in the production of ground beef. |
Four years ago, a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was found in an animal from northern Alberta. That set off a chain of events that shut the United States border to exports and crippled the industry.
Today, the border is still not open to Canadian cattle over 30 month of age, animals normally used in the production of ground beef.
Adding to the pressure is Alberta's population boom. Many producers are deciding to cash out, accepting lucrative offers from land developers who want to build new houses on prime agricultural land.
From his lush field, Ken Lewis can see the edge of Edmonton — row after row of new houses sitting where the family farm used to be.
"There's probably only 20 per cent of the cattle that would have been here 10 years ago. So cattle really get pushed out and that's part of it."
Source: CBC.ca
