December 03, 2003

US-Canada Delegation Assess Foot-and-Mouth Situation in Argentina
 

A U.S.-Canadian delegation arrived in Argentina Monday to determine if Patagonia is free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, officials reported.

"The certification of this region as free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination will allow the opening of U.S. and Canadian markets to a vast array of animal products from the area," the Argentine communique added.

Between January and September of 2003, exports of processed meat from Argentina to the United States totaled 15,223 tons and were valued at just over $40 million.

But since 2001, exports of fresh Argentine meat to the United States have been banned, when the South American country recognized that pockets of foot-and-mouth disease existed within its territory.

Argentina is the world's fourth-largest producer and seventh-largest exporter of beef.