US Producers Urge USDA To Maintain Beef Import Ban From Argentina, Uruguay
The Agriculture Department should keep in place a ban on fresh beef imports from northern Argentina and Uruguay, as well as ovine meat from Uruguay, over foot and mouth disease (FMD) concerns, said several U.S. producers in comments to the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The comment period expired on Dec. 29, following an October request (see 1410300005).
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Removing the ban could jeopardize U.S. efforts to prevent the “highly contagious disease” from reaching U.S. livestock, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said in comments (here). “APHIS acknowledges that northern Argentina is not considered to be free of FMD,” said Johnson. “Argentina has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to eradicate and control FMD. Additionally, Argentina concealed the outbreaks from the international community for months.”
An FMD outbreak in the U.S. would devastate beef production and the cattle industry, said Johnson. President of the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, Pete Bonds, echoed that argument in comments (here).
“FMD could cause a widespread quarantine and possible massive depopulation of the cattle herd in the United States, thus compromising national security, jeopardizing our beef supply, and costing our industry hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Bonds. “Argentina’s history of FMD and lack of strict control measures to properly mitigate the risk for the introduction of FMD into the United States is of great concern to TSCRA. Simply put, TSCRA does not believe Argentina can consistently guarantee the standards necessary to keep FMD out of the United States.”