United States-US Block Argentine beef and Patagonia lamb.
UNITED STATES
IT APPEARS THE UNITED STATES HAS LEARNED NOTHING IN DIPLOMACY.
Senators Tim Johnson and Mikwe Enzi, claimed on recently that Argentine beef should not be allowed into the United States, for fear of foot and mouth disease.
These ill informed gentlemen, had their statement backed up by Tom Buis who is in charge of the mighty National Farmers Union.
So lets take away the politics and look at the facts.
First of all there has been no evidence or link with beef bone on the bone or boneless, being the cause of foot and mouth anywhere at any time.This was a myth created by the British Government in November of 1967.
The recent disaster with US beef in Korea was caused by this kind of rhetoric, fear mongering for political gain, protectionism and money.
One would have thought the $4 billion awarding against the United States and to the government of Brazil over cotton subsidies, would have taught the gentlemen something.
The bully boy tactics on Mexico, forcing them to buy beef after the BSE debacle in 2003, backfired on Japan and South Korea for 5 years.
The reality making matters worse, is the fact that these gentlemen don’t yet realize how serious South Korea might turn out to be. The South Korean market will not be coming back in the same volumes as in 2003. There is a very clear and present danger that they may impose a total ban down the road, bearing in mind there have been 13 breaches of health regulations since May of this year.
The United States have recalled thousand of tons of beef since October last year, because they cannot teach their meat workers the importance of washing their hands after going to the lavatory, that simple in regard to the spread of 99% of E-coli, wash your hands stupid!.
One thousand people have been hospitalized with salmonella, transmitted in tomato’s yet very conveniently, the origin of the tomato’s cannot be traced, so the blame is placed on Mexico by the USDA.
The BSE in 2003 was no big deal, the USDA cover up was a very big deal.
The blame was wrongly placed on Canada, until the second outbreak when the cover up was exposed.
Every week for the last 9 months, we have reported one or two beef recalls every week in the United States, caused by people not washing their hands after going to the lavatory.
Perhaps the most sinister cover up by the USDA and the NFU is the treatment of downer cows, this cruelty in the extreme is a disgrace to the meat industry.
Like the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, they know the torture goes on with these cattle, yet do nothing until secretly filmed and caught in the act, then rush into damage control.
How dare these named gentlemen say, that Argentine beef can cause foot and mouth.
Let he who casts the first stone be without sin.
The American beef industry must get their own house in order, using a little common sense and hygiene practices. They are now learning albeit reluctantly, that what goes around, eventually comes around as proved in South Korea and Russia recently and Mexico this week.
Extract from William Hayes Argentine Beef Packers SA, letter to Buenos Aires Herald.
argentinebeefpackers@yahoo.com.ar
