Australia stands firm on BSE ban decision

The Australian government maintains that it will go ahead and open its doors to beef from BSE-affected countries from Monday, despite a swirl of media and political pressure.

Federal Trade Minister Simon Crean says states or regions wanting to export beef to Australia will need to have traceability systems in place. While some beef producers have questioned the rationale of this decision, Crean says the move to lift the ban was driven by Australia's cattle industry.

Crean says he has a September 2009 letter from the Red Meat Advisory Council, which represents all of the peak bodies, opposing the BSE certification rules currently operating in Australia.

Despite assurances from the government, many graziers remain wary of the looming change to imports from BSE-affected countries. They are concerned that the risk of things going wrong is too high, and the price could be too steep to pay.

Senior livestock veterinarian for the Cumberland LHPA, Keith Hart, says government protocols will not protect Australia from being infected.

"There is no way you could put a protocol in place that would minimise the risk until the science is known. It might be 10 years or more,'' said Hart.