Tracking and Testing Of US and Canadian Cattle Herds for BSE: A Risk Management Dilemma

The United States has historically imported a substantial number of cattle from Canada. Given the discovery of a BSE-infected animal in Canada and another in the United States with Canadian heritage raises the question as to whether the United States should track and test imported animals. One alternative for the near term is to identify, permanently mark, and track Canadian cattle in the United States. We will use economic analysis to quantify and compare risk management and economic consequences of such an alternative in an effort to help policy analysts and decision makers decide how best to assess and manage uncertain risks of BSE in the United States from imported cattle.