Association determines birth farm of infected cow

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association says the beef breeding cow found with mad cow disease at an Alberta farm was born in the province at a different farm.

John Masswohl, an association spokesman, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has identified the birth farm.

Masswohl says the agency gleaned the information from a cattle identification system tag that producers are required to attach to a cow's ear.

But he says the CFIA has not told the beef industry when the cow was born or how many other animals from the same herd may have consumed the same feed in their first year of life.

The discovery of the cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has prompted South Korea to suspend imports of Canadian beef.

Last year Canadian producers sold $25.8 million worth of beef products to South Korea out of total beef product exports of $1.9 billion.