Cervid Farms Speak Out On CWD
Posted by MikeAdams on August 29, 2008
We finally have a statement from the deer farming industry concerning the recent positive test of CWD on a private deer farm in Michigan. The statement comes from Marketwatch.com
Deer Farm Industry in Michigan Issues Statement on the Recent Chronic Wasting Disease Case Identified on a Kent County Deer Farm
HILLMAN, Mich., Aug 29, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — In response to recent news about Michigan’s first identified case of chronic wasting disease (CWD), members of the deer farming community have issued the following statement.
With hunting season fast approaching, the tragic incident regarding a CWD positive test for a deer on a Kent County farm understandably has created concern among hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and deer farmers across the great state of Michigan. The deer farming industry in Michigan is committed to preventing the spread of chronic wasting disease and is cooperating fully with both the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources to bring a swift and conclusive resolution to this difficult situation.
Michigan’s protocols to handle a chronic wasting disease case are working the way our industry, DNR, and MDA originally conceived them. It should also be noted the farm in question was fully complying with mandatory state regulatory requirements issued by MDA, which is why we remain hopeful that a thorough investigation will reveal this case to be an isolated incident.
The deer farming industry and state officials in Michigan have taken the issue of chronic wasting disease seriously, long before this incident ever occurred. In fact, it is because of our united commitment to testing that this case was even identified in the first place. The Cervid Farmers of Michigan, Michigan Deer and Elk Breeders Association, North American Deer Farmers Association, along with regulatory state agencies continuously work together to make sure deer farms and wildlife in Michigan are CWD free. The recent incident only serves to reaffirm our resolve to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease.
With more than 600 deer farms under quarantine right now, the entire industry is at a standstill. Deer farming, as a regulated alternative livestock industry is a $1 billion industry in Michigan and it is a vital part of the state’s agriculture community.
Every dollar the local agriculture community produces gets used 2.6 times before it leaves those local communities, according to research by the Michigan State University Agriculture Economics Department. This means the $104 million locally-based agriculture industry has an economic impact of $270 million annually for local communities in Michigan. A damaged deer farming industry will have negative repercussions on the state’s agriculture community and the economy as a whole because the longer Michigan’s deer farms are shut down — the greater the financial impact there will be for local communities.
We as an industry are continuing to be cooperative and helpful to ensure this incident did not spread outside our state and federally regulated and secured properties. The deer farming industry is committed to assisting in any way possible to find the cause for the chronic wasting disease case in Kent County, but the industry is asking for a swift resolution to this issue and the lifting of the quarantine on those farms with no connection to the affected farm.
SOURCE North American Deer Farmers Association; Cervid Farmers of Michigan;
Michigan Deer & Elk Breeders Association
One thing I did learn from this is that not only are these game ranches for hunting, but they also provide a way for people to purchase meat other than beef, pork, or poultry from a farm type environment. One of my hunting partners was going to purchase elk steaks from a northern elk farm while on vacation. He was at the facility the day before the quarantine. These facilities also raise animals for breeding stock, which they are also not allowed to transport now. This situation has now virtually shut down all the cervid farms in the State of Michigan. We need to remember that this doesn’t just effect hunters or hunting. It effects local communities, farmers, retailers, mom and pop stores, and the State of Michigan as a whole. Let’s hope that this will be resolved in a short time. We must remember that a short time will NOT be by this hunting season, and probably not by next season either. We must be patient inorder to save our hunting heritage here in Michigan.
[...] Original post by MikeAdams [...]
August 29th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
[...] State News » News Cervid Farms Speak Out On CWD2008-08-29 17:28:04Every dollar the Michigan State University Agriculture Economics Department. This [...]
August 29th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
That’s scary
August 30th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I still should have bought those steaks…. took the tour through the facilities and forgot at the end… If, no, when they get the all clear, I’ll make sure to order a few pounds of steaks to celebrate. I’ll let you know when the grill is hot!
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:33 am