Today 7/10/2006 10:16:00 AM
Canada Beef Industry Concerned That Beef May Be Segregated
WINNIPEG (Dow Jones)--The Canadian cattle industry is concerned about reports that South Korea will not resume beef trade with the U.S. until Canadian beef products are segregated in U.S. beef processing plants.
South Korea has not been accepting U.S. beef since December 2003 after reports of a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, in the U.S. In recent weeks there have been two confirmations of BSE in Canadian cattle.
"We know that the U.S. beef-processing sector was opposing this restriction and had hopes to avoid it," said Ted Haney, president of Canadian Beef Export Federation. He said segregating beef is costly and disruptive to the US beef processing industry.
"Our product is safe and from a risk-assessment perspective has been demonstrated to be so," he said.
"In recent months the U.S. industry has increasingly directed their government not to accept protocols with unnecessary restrictions because of the increased cost associated with having these restrictions in place," Haney added.
He noted that Canada has been working to reestablish direct beef trade with South Korea. He said that with Canada's recent announcement to remove specified risk materials from animal, feed and pet food, he hopes to be "back on track to receiving access in South Korea." He added that Korean officials had indicated this was a necessary requirement that Canada meet before they return to negotiations.
Haney calls South Korea a "significant, top floor market" for Canadian beef. Canada exported over 20,000 metric tons - or approximately $100 million worth of beef - to South Korea prior to the closure of the border to Candian beef in 2003 when the BSE was first discovered in Canadian cattle, he said.
Haney noted that Canada has already reestablished trade with Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and said trade with Taiwan should resume by October.
Source: Alan MacKenzie, Dow Jones Newswires; (204) 947-1700; [email protected]
Canada Beef Industry Concerned That Beef May Be Segregated
WINNIPEG (Dow Jones)--The Canadian cattle industry is concerned about reports that South Korea will not resume beef trade with the U.S. until Canadian beef products are segregated in U.S. beef processing plants.
South Korea has not been accepting U.S. beef since December 2003 after reports of a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, in the U.S. In recent weeks there have been two confirmations of BSE in Canadian cattle.
"We know that the U.S. beef-processing sector was opposing this restriction and had hopes to avoid it," said Ted Haney, president of Canadian Beef Export Federation. He said segregating beef is costly and disruptive to the US beef processing industry.
"Our product is safe and from a risk-assessment perspective has been demonstrated to be so," he said.
"In recent months the U.S. industry has increasingly directed their government not to accept protocols with unnecessary restrictions because of the increased cost associated with having these restrictions in place," Haney added.
He noted that Canada has been working to reestablish direct beef trade with South Korea. He said that with Canada's recent announcement to remove specified risk materials from animal, feed and pet food, he hopes to be "back on track to receiving access in South Korea." He added that Korean officials had indicated this was a necessary requirement that Canada meet before they return to negotiations.
Haney calls South Korea a "significant, top floor market" for Canadian beef. Canada exported over 20,000 metric tons - or approximately $100 million worth of beef - to South Korea prior to the closure of the border to Candian beef in 2003 when the BSE was first discovered in Canadian cattle, he said.
Haney noted that Canada has already reestablished trade with Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and said trade with Taiwan should resume by October.
Source: Alan MacKenzie, Dow Jones Newswires; (204) 947-1700; [email protected]