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Aussie farmers fear mad cow fallout
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Posted on Jan 22 2001
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) – As Asian nations hastily put up defenses against mad cow disease, farmers in major beef producer Australia are worried their markets may suffer even though their herds are disease-free.
Asia imports very little beef from the European Union, which has been hit by a rash of mad cow cases in recent months, but is an important customer for Australia.
Governments are trying to prevent the spread of the human form of mad cow disease, Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease, which scientists believe is spread by eating infected meat. In three months, beef sales have tumbled 27 percent across the European Union.
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia ordered recalls of all European meat and meat byproducts from affected European countries. In Australia, people who have lived in Europe have been banned from donating blood, and feed containing European cow and sheep products has also been barred.
Most Asian nations get their beef from Australia, New Zealand, the United States and India. Australia sold a record 990,000 tons of beef in 2000, according to official government figures.
But despite the rise in sales, which was attributed to a weak Australian dollar and strong demand from the United States, farmers fear their exports could be hit hard as people shun beef.
“These issues potentially have a depressing effect on the demand worldwide, particularly in markets that aren’t well informed,” said Peter Barnard, a spokesman for Meat and Livestock Australia, an industry group.
