Vietnam reopens border to Canadian livestock
Canada’s federal government has announced that Vietnam and Canada have reached a trade agreement in which Vietnam will allow the import of Canadian cattle, sheep and goats.
Ed Fast, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, revealed the agreement in an announcement in Olds on 14 August, 2011.
In 2003, nearly 60 countries, including Vietnam, closed the door to Canadian cattle imports following the discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (B.S.E.).
A number of producers went out of business following the discovery of B.S.E. in some Canadian herds.
Livestock producers are hoping the Vietnamese announcement will be the precursor to livestock trade agreements with other key Asian nations.
Canadian cattle rancher Cole Harvie told local media that the news could not have come at a better time. “Any market that opens up is a great thing for us,” he said. “Every time we get the opportunity to market our cattle, it’s more money for farmers.”
