Kill or Shill: Processing Capacity and Cattle Prices with a Closed Border

The discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alberta and the subsequent U.S. border closure raised concerns about the reliance of Canada’s cattle industry upon U.S. packers. It became clear that Canada lacked the slaughter capacity to support the number of cattle going to market. This and other factors resulted in steep price declines. Since 2003, slaughter capacity has increased by approximately 46 percent. Given that many of the start-ups are small-scale operations that in many cases lack experience and financial backing, questions arise regarding the viability and sustainability of these enterprises. This study examines existing processing capacity as well as planned expansions and discusses the implications for Canadian cattle prices. Even though the U.S. border reopened in July 2005, concerns about slaughter capacity remain. Animals over 30 months of age must still be slaughtered in Canada. There are also ongoing concerns about Canada’s continued ability to export live cattle to the United States. Future exports are threatened by potential trade actions and by unpredictable animal health issues that could again close the border.International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

Impact of Market Access Reforms On the Canadian Dairy Industry

The World Trade Organization's (WTO) latest round of negotiations, the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), will likely change the way most agricultural products are traded around the world. These new liberalization policies will potentially affect the Canadian production and consumption of dairy products. This paper uses a partial equilibrium model with stochastic world prices to evaluate the effects of these trade reforms on the Canadian dairy industry. Different liberalization scenarios are simulated and the outcomes are analyzed and discussed.International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries, C30 D50 F14 Q17,

Preliminary design polymeric materials experiment

A typical Advanced Technology Laboratory mission flight plan was developed and used as a guideline for the identification of a number of experiment considerations. The experiment logistics beginning with sample preparation and ending with sample analysis are then overlaid on the mission in order to have a complete picture of the design requirements. The results of this preliminary design study fall into two categories. First specific preliminary designs of experiment hardware which is adaptable to a variety of mission requirements. Second, identification of those mission considerations which affect hardware design and will require further definition prior to final design. Finally, a program plan is presented which will provide the necessary experiment hardware in a realistic time period to match the planned shuttle flights. A bibliography of all material reviewed and consulted but not specifically referenced is provided

Magnesium deficiency: effect on bone mineral density in the mouse appendicular skeleton

BACKGROUND: Dietary magnesium (Mg) deficiency in the mouse perturbs bone and mineral homeostasis. The objective of the present study was to evaluate bone mineral density of the femur in control and Mg-deficient mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice aged 28 days at study initiation were maintained on a normal or Mg deficient (0.0002% Mg) diet, and at time points 0, 2, 4 or 6 weeks bones were harvested for bone mineral density analysis. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was used to assess the trabecular metaphyseal compartment and the cortical midshaft. RESULTS: Although mean total bone density of the femoral midshaft in Mg deficient mice did not differ significantly from controls throughout the study, the trabecular bone compartment showed significantly decreased mineral content after 4 (p < 0.001) and 6 weeks (p < 0.001) of Mg depletion. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the profound effect of Mg depletion on the trabecular compartment of bone, which, with its greater surface area and turnover, was more responsive to Mg depletion than cortical bone in the appendicular skeleton of the mouse