Have Our Borders Really Been Closed?
There's little doubt now that regaining U.S. export markets in the Pacific Rim will take some time. Yet, imports have approached record levels. In fact, Canadian boxed beef totaled 1.1 billion lbs. last year and is expected to be up 15-20% in 2005. In addition, the U.S. imported as many Mexican feeder cattle in 2004 as it did from both Canada and Mexico in 2002.
It's interesting, if not ironic, that the long-term beneficiary of the border closure is likely to be Canadian cattlemen. In the end, they will have gained huge increases in both packing and feeding capacity -- government-subsidized, no less -- while ultimately winning back their access to the U.S. market.
Meanwhile, the major short-term casualty of the border closing has been U.S. processing industry employees and U.S. packers. In the longer term, that means U.S. cattlemen will feel a significant bite from these negative consequences.
-- Troy Marshall
This might have been posted on Ranchers before, but I thought it important enough to post again!
I have a question though, how's the southern border of Mexico control for FMD?