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Cattle groups unhappy with Brazilian beef announcement

brazilian cattleU.S. cattle organizations are not happy with the USDA’s decision to allow imports of fresh and frozen beef from Brazil.

The agency announced yesterday that the two countries have agreed to open up their respective markets to fresh beef exports. In making the announcement, USDA said its Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined that Brazil’s food safety system for meat meets U.S. standards.

Cattle groups disagree. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, R-CALF USA and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association all issued statements expressing concerns with Brazil’s ongoing issues with livestock diseases, especially Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

“The Administration’s decision to move forward and allow fresh and frozen beef imports from Brazil is of continued concern as the Government Accountability Office is still reviewing the methodology used during the decision-making process,” says NCBA president Tracy Brunner. “Furthermore, USDA has failed to provide the detailed and documented science-based review of the risk evaluation protocols for determining an animal health status for countries; information requested by the U.S. beef industry and Congress last year in order to alleviate serious animal health concerns. With so much at stake, there is no reason USDA shouldn’t be forthcoming with information and willing to wait for the completion of the GAO audit.

“Most importantly, we need the U.S. Government to take the proper precaution and ensure a robust Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine bank,” Brunner says. “The U.S. cattle herd has not been exposed to FMD since 1929, and the current lack of FMD preparedness could devastate our industry if our herd is exposed to the highly communicable disease. We cannot afford to jeopardize our nation’s livestock herds, which are the foundation of our global food supply, before all the possible risks to animal health and food safety have been properly addressed and precautions have been established.”

Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF, says Brazil lacks the resources and infrastructure to maintain health and safety standards equal to the U.S. and calls the USDA’s action “reckless”.

AUDIO: Bill Bullard

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