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Ranchers.net

U.S. does nothing to allay Japan's beef fears


January 16, 2007
1 Comment



In her Dec. 23 article, Iowa Meat Trade Mission representative Terri Carstensen says now that Japan has partially lifted its ban, "U.S. beef is well-positioned for success" ("Export Markets Important for Iowa Beef Producers," Iowa View).

Polls show that the majority of Japanese view American beef as posing a risk for mad-cow disease (MCD). Japan boasts the world's tightest safety net guarding against MCD. It conducts blanket testing of all cows destined for human consumption. The Consumer Union of Japan's chief, Hiroko Mizuhara, has said we are "not buying food we suspect has U.S. beef in it." Fear has driven Japanese consumers to reinforce the ban at the cash register.

U.S. cattle barons could be back in the saddle with the Japanese if they gave them the safeguards they want. They'll pay for it; Japanese consumers pay as much as 10 times the price for beef as Americans do. But perhaps our beef barons are afraid of what customers closer to home might think. Kansas beef producer Creekstone Farms wanted to test its cows for MCD. Then something (read: big ag) prodded the U.S. Department of Agriculture to put a stop to Creekstone's efforts. The fact that the USDA won't let them test makes American beef smell kind of fishy to Japanese consumers.


Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama,

Japan.

I want my $175 per head back.
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