BSE | Japan Won't Lift Ban Prior To Team Report | Japan will not lift its ba...
BSE
Japan Won't Lift Ban Prior To Team Report
Japan will not lift its ban on beef imports from the United States before a team due to visit the United States this week reports back to the agriculture and health ministries. The five-strong team will make a nine-day visit to the U.S. and Canada this week and meet with U.S. and Canadian officials.
Japan’s media reports that domestic wholesale prices of beef and pork have increased 10-20 percent since the ban was imposed.
Japanese Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa met with USDA Secretary Ann Veneman yesterday (Jan. 7) and is scheduled to hold further talks today with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.
Economic Impact of Closed Markets
The temporary ban on U.S. beef due to the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a Canadian-born dairy cow in Washington State will have a profound effect on the $3.5 billion per year U.S. beef export industry, the corn and soybean market, shipping companies and other allied industries. USMEF has written an initial assessment of the Economic Impact of Closed Markets for its members. A more detailed breakdown of the impact by markets is also available online.
Mexico Will Not Open Border Immediately
In a late afternoon press conference (Jan. 6) Mexican Agriculture Secretary Javier Usabiaga announced that Mexico would not immediately open its border to U.S. beef products until the USDA had answered all of Mexico’s questions to its government’s satisfaction. Usabiaga indicated that this could take weeks if not months and there would be no immediate opening of the border.
USDA Under Secretaries J.B. Penn and William Hawks met today with Usabiaga, Under Secretary Javier Trujillo, and Chief Veterinary Officer Jose Angel del Valle of the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Food and Fisheries (SAGARPA) to discuss the reopening of the Mexican market to U.S. beef exports.
Mexico closed its border to U.S. cattle and beef products on Dec. 24, 2003.
The USDA officials reassured the Mexican government that the U.S. meat supply is safe and discussed the additional measures announced by USDA on Dec. 30 to further enhance consumer safety and protect livestock health.
SAGARPA responded with a request for additional information concerning timing, implementation procedures, and enforcement of the six measures USDA announced to further assure the safety of the North American herd and beef supply. SAGARPA also requested information regarding traceability and results of the epidemiological investigation now being conducted.
A U.S. trade team is in Mexico to talk with officials there regarding beef trade with the United States. USDA's Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bill Hawks and Under Secretary of Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services J.B. Penn left for Mexico Monday afternoon (Jan. 5) to meet with Mexican government officials about trade concerns arising from the BSE issue.
USDA invited a technical team from SAGARPA to visit the United States next week for further technical consultations and discussions. The invitation was accepted and it was agreed that Dr. Jose Angel del Valle will lead the Mexican delegation.
DNA Test Says BSE Cow Was Born In Canada
DNA tests performed by the U.S. and Canada show with a "high-degree of certainty" that the cow that tested positive in the U.S. for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was born in Canada, according to USDA Chief Veterinarian Ron DeHaven.
Canadian officials agree that the animal was born on a dairy farm in the Canadian province of Alberta.
Brian Evans, Canada's chief veterinary officer, said the age of the animal would also tend to support the earlier conclusion that infection most likely occurred prior to the institution of feed bans that eliminated the feeding of meat and bone meal. He said that the investigation would continue until no outstanding issues remained.
A herd of 450 containing the calf from the index cow will be depopulated later this week. Primarily a bull calf finishing operation, the herd is being depopulated and eliminated from the food chain because the calf from the index cow was not tagged at birth and USDA is not going to do DNA testing on the whole herd to positively identify the calf. This step is being done from an "abundance of caution" as the potential maternal transmission risk is extremely low.
BSE
Japan Won't Lift Ban Prior To Team Report
Japan will not lift its ban on beef imports from the United States before a team due to visit the United States this week reports back to the agriculture and health ministries. The five-strong team will make a nine-day visit to the U.S. and Canada this week and meet with U.S. and Canadian officials.
Japan’s media reports that domestic wholesale prices of beef and pork have increased 10-20 percent since the ban was imposed.
Japanese Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa met with USDA Secretary Ann Veneman yesterday (Jan. 7) and is scheduled to hold further talks today with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.
Economic Impact of Closed Markets
The temporary ban on U.S. beef due to the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a Canadian-born dairy cow in Washington State will have a profound effect on the $3.5 billion per year U.S. beef export industry, the corn and soybean market, shipping companies and other allied industries. USMEF has written an initial assessment of the Economic Impact of Closed Markets for its members. A more detailed breakdown of the impact by markets is also available online.
Mexico Will Not Open Border Immediately
In a late afternoon press conference (Jan. 6) Mexican Agriculture Secretary Javier Usabiaga announced that Mexico would not immediately open its border to U.S. beef products until the USDA had answered all of Mexico’s questions to its government’s satisfaction. Usabiaga indicated that this could take weeks if not months and there would be no immediate opening of the border.
USDA Under Secretaries J.B. Penn and William Hawks met today with Usabiaga, Under Secretary Javier Trujillo, and Chief Veterinary Officer Jose Angel del Valle of the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Food and Fisheries (SAGARPA) to discuss the reopening of the Mexican market to U.S. beef exports.
Mexico closed its border to U.S. cattle and beef products on Dec. 24, 2003.
The USDA officials reassured the Mexican government that the U.S. meat supply is safe and discussed the additional measures announced by USDA on Dec. 30 to further enhance consumer safety and protect livestock health.
SAGARPA responded with a request for additional information concerning timing, implementation procedures, and enforcement of the six measures USDA announced to further assure the safety of the North American herd and beef supply. SAGARPA also requested information regarding traceability and results of the epidemiological investigation now being conducted.
A U.S. trade team is in Mexico to talk with officials there regarding beef trade with the United States. USDA's Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bill Hawks and Under Secretary of Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services J.B. Penn left for Mexico Monday afternoon (Jan. 5) to meet with Mexican government officials about trade concerns arising from the BSE issue.
USDA invited a technical team from SAGARPA to visit the United States next week for further technical consultations and discussions. The invitation was accepted and it was agreed that Dr. Jose Angel del Valle will lead the Mexican delegation.
DNA Test Says BSE Cow Was Born In Canada
DNA tests performed by the U.S. and Canada show with a "high-degree of certainty" that the cow that tested positive in the U.S. for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was born in Canada, according to USDA Chief Veterinarian Ron DeHaven.
Canadian officials agree that the animal was born on a dairy farm in the Canadian province of Alberta.
Brian Evans, Canada's chief veterinary officer, said the age of the animal would also tend to support the earlier conclusion that infection most likely occurred prior to the institution of feed bans that eliminated the feeding of meat and bone meal. He said that the investigation would continue until no outstanding issues remained.
A herd of 450 containing the calf from the index cow will be depopulated later this week. Primarily a bull calf finishing operation, the herd is being depopulated and eliminated from the food chain because the calf from the index cow was not tagged at birth and USDA is not going to do DNA testing on the whole herd to positively identify the calf. This step is being done from an "abundance of caution" as the potential maternal transmission risk is extremely low.