January 24, 2005

Canada, Mexico say they aim to Re-Establish beef, cattle trade

Canada and Mexico recently discussed the North American response to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease, and will continue to make an effort to re-establish trade in beef products as well as breeding animals between the two countries, said a spokesman from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Andy Mitchell, and Mexico's Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, Javier Usabiaga Arroyo, endorsed the collaborative spirit and goodwill established between the two countries during recent meetings, a release from Mitchell's office said late Thursday.

During the meetings with Usabiaga, Mitchell stressed the integrity of Canada's current feed ban and its effectiveness in protecting animal and human health. Usabiaga, meanwhile, commended Canada for the thoroughness and transparency of its response to BSE, the release said.

Mexico also expressed confidence that there is a low prevalence of BSE in the livestock in North America and that effective measures are in place to protect human and animal health, the release said.

The spokesman said with the exception of a few select beef products, trade in the cattle sector between Canada and Mexico has not resumed. Currently, only select deboned meat products in cattle under the age of 30 months are allowed into Mexico, including select trims, offals and tallow.

The release said that Mitchell and Usabiaga also talked about other agriculture and trade issues in which the two countries share a common interest, such as rural development and biotechnology.