Paraguay marks good progress in cattle traceability

Paraguay is making good progress in its cattle traceability, as the country strives to increase exports to the EU market.

In December 2008, 600,000 head of cattle in Paraguay were recorded in the traceability system, up 100 percent since August 2008.

The increase was mainly the result of the 29 US cents per kg cwt price premium paid by Paraguayan meatpackers to producers for traced cattle, with beef then exported to the EU market for between US$2,000-US$3,000 per tonne swt.

Paraguay began to work on its traceability after the EU lifted its foot-and-mouth disease related ban on Paraguayan beef due to outbreaks in 2003.

Paraguay has the potential to include about 3.5 million cattle in its traceability system in the short-term.