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Stage is set for demand for U.S. beef to rise around the globe

In recent days, several events have taken place that at casual glance may seem unrelated, but take a second look and I’m sure you’ll agree they are indeed tied with a common thread.

USDA’s Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program reached the half million mark. A total of 503,929 targeted animals at highest risk for BSE have been tested for BSE since June 1, 2004, with only one confirmed case. According to USDA, testing 268,500 animals can detect BSE at a rate of 1 in 10 million adult cattle at a 99 percent confidence level.

Earlier this week, a panel of Japanese experts agreed that U.S. beef is safe. The group’s extensive report now goes to government officials as part of a month-long public hearing process before a ban on the beef can be lifted. According to the news reports coming out of Japan, these Japanese scientists determined that the risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in U.S. beef was nearly the same as that of their own country’s beef supply. Japan first placed a ban on beef nearly two years ago, following a case of BSE in a cow in Washington State.

President Bush will travel to Tokyo next month to meet with the leaders of Japan. The visit was planned in advance of Monday’s announcement, but it was expected that the officials would talk about beef trade. Last week, members of the U.S. Senate introduced legislation that calls for trade sanctions against Japan unless beef sales resumed by December 31, 2005.

Prior to the December 2003 ban on beef, Japan was the top export market for U.S. cattlemen. According to media reports following the committee’s announcement, beef imports could resume as soon as the end of this year.

As doors begin to open for us, doors are slamming shut on our competition. Nineteen additional cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were found on four farms outside of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, where an outbreak was announced October 10. Brazil’s Ag Ministry has confirmed FMD on a total of 11 farms in Mato Grasso do Sul, with four possible cases in Parana being evaluated. All confirmed cases and those being evaluated are specific to the bovine species.

Brazil is the world’s No. 1 beef exporter. The country exported nearly 1.9 million tons of beef (worth about $3billion) from January until September of this year. 45 nations have now banned meat imports from Brazil.

The Brazilian government has ordered infected herds to be slaughtered and promised to compensate farmers who had vaccinated their animals. Reports out of Brazil are that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will sign a resolution giving more than $1 billion in aid to farmers in affected areas.

Turn on a radio or television or pick up any newspaper and you’ll find a story on avian influenza. Like SARS, the fear of a bird flu pandemic has spread like bird flu in the poultry house. To protect against the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) in the United States, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is restricting trade on pet bird, poultry and poultry product imports from affected countries. All birds brought into the United States from countries with diseases of concern are quarantined and tested at an APHIS Animal Import Center for 30 days.

The USDA does have a rapid diagnostic test for avian influenza that diagnoses it within three hours. Previous tests took up to two weeks. The test has been distributed to university and state veterinary diagnostic labs nationwide.

APHIS does have a supply of vaccine and has created a 40,000-person national surveillance and response network to report any suspected disease outbreak.

In addition to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus and foot and mouth disease, the World Health Organization is reporting American foulbrood (a disease of larval honeybees) in Chile; Newcastle disease in France, Denmark, and Israel; and vesicular stomatitis in the U.S.

Congress continues to argue over national animal identification and last week decided to delay mandatory country of origin labeling until 2008. House and Senate conference negotiators agreed to put it off for an additional two years past the date that it was slated for implementation.

Much has happened in recent days. As I see it, the U.S. beef industry (and other meats) is in a very good position now and for the foreseeable future. However, let me reiterate the concern I have voiced so many times in the past. Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility. If you have the opportunity to travel outside of this country, be sure to answer honestly when you mark the little box on the card that asks, “Have you been on a farm?”

It’s going to take some extra time to have your shoes cleaned at the airport. Can you imagine what an impact those few minutes could have on the livestock industry and overall economy of this country should you, in FMD-contaminated shoes, walk onto your own farm?

The United States has superior airport security screening for keeping terrorists and fruits and vegetables out of our country. Let’s make sure there is concern shown for keeping out a disease that could devastate the livestock industry in this country.