April 24, 2014
US agricultural groups support continued ban on Brazilian beef
Many groups representing American beef interests said that the risk of importing beef from Brazil is still too great, as the country has not yet eradicated foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), in response to the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service''s (APHIS) proposal to allow the importation of fresh beef from some Brazilian states.
In comments earlier this year on the proposal, National Cattlemen''s Beef Association vice president of government affairs Collin Woodall said FMDis a huge risk to beef producers, and the new proposal also has an impact on the United States'' relationship with trading partners.
"Our concerns are really all about the willingness, the commitment, the resources and the infrastructure that Brazilis willing to put in too make sure that all of the protocols for regionalization in trade in a country that has FMD can be met in order to protect the United States," he commented on February 25.
The National Farmers Union, in comments submitted on the proposal April 22, said his group has concerns regarding consumer confidence in beef products.
"As we''ve seen in the past, consumer confidence in the safety of our food supply is easily jeopardized by even rumored threats," Johnson said. "NFU''s family farmer- and rancher-driven policy is clear on this issue: livestock, animal protein products and meat imports from countries with a history of FMD and other infectious livestock diseases put the entire US livestock industry at risk due to the very real possibility of transmission of FMD to US livestock.
"APHIS must maintain the current ban on importation of fresh beef from Brazil," he said.
According to Johnson, economic risks are also apparent: a 2002 study, he said, found that if an epidemic similar to the outbreak that occurred in the United Kingdom in 2001 were to strike the United States, a loss of US$14 billion in US farm income (in 2002 dollars) would result.
This includes costs of quarantine and eradication of animals, a ban on exports, and reduced consumer confidence.
"US farmers and ranchers are known throughout the world for our long-standing disease prevention efforts and high food safety standards. USDA must not endanger this reputation, or consumers'' safety, for the sake of cheap imported food," Johnson said.
The comment period, originally scheduled to end February 21, was extended 60 days to April 22 after several groups pressed APHIS for additional time to comment. The extended public comment period closed with nearly 600 comments by stakeholders for APHIS'' review.