The world's largest beef exporter Brazil has voluntarily halted shipments to China - it's key market - immediately after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para.
The move is expected to severely disrupt global beef supply chains as China is the heaviest importer of meat in the world and currently has very high demands.
Brazil's agriculture and livestock ministry has just issued a notice of the confirmation of the case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in a 9-year-old male animal on a small property in the municipality of Marab.
The animal, raised on pasture, was slaughtered and its carcase incinerated on-site.
The World Organisation for Animal Health has been notified and samples are with its reference laboratory in Alberta, Canada, which will be able to confirm whether the case is atypical.
"All measures are being adopted immediately at each stage of the investigation and the matter is being treated with total transparency to guarantee Brazilian and global consumers the recognised quality of our meat", Brazilian agriculture minister Carlos Fvaro said.
Analysts describe China as being extremely reliant on Brazilian beef for food security and, as such, it is expected both nations have a vested interest in resolving the issue quickly.
Indeed, Brazil says the dialogue 'is being intensified to demonstrate all the information and the prompt re-establishment of the meat trade.'
There had been some suggestion with Australian beef exporter circles, during the wait on confirmation of the BSE case, that China might even go against world convention and continue to accept beef from Brazil.
The last mad cow case in Brazil, just two years ago, saw exports to China stop for more than three months. However, China had more beef in storage at that time.
ALSO IN BEEF:
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
