July 6, 2006

 

EU inspectors in Brazil to examine cattle monitoring system

 

 

Animal health inspectors from the EU arrived in Brazil Tuesday (Jul 4) to inspect Brazil's cattle and beef monitoring system in four of Brazil's biggest cattle raising states, Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said in a press statement.

 

EU inspectors would visit cattle ranches in Sao Paulo after meeting with state inspection and animal monitoring authorities at the Secretary of Agriculture.

 

The team would then go to Mato Grosso do Sul to track Brazil's progress in containing foot-and-mouth disease there by meeting with state animal health veterinarians.

 

EU inspectors would also visit beef processing facilities in Mato Grosso and Goias states, two of the top three cattle raising states.

 

The visit would end in the middle of July.

 

Brazilian officals, speaking to local media, said they doubted the EU would relax its ban after the visit, however, there was also no reason to expand the bans either.

 

The EU has banned beef exports from Mato Grosso do Sul, Parana and Sao Paulo states because of foot-and-mouth disease.

 

The Agriculture Ministry said that Brazil exported 113,000 tonnes of beef worth US$469 million to EU nations for the first six months this year. The EU is Brazil's top beef export market.

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