*EPF510 07/16/2004
One-Third of U.S. Beef Export Market Reopened, Veneman Says
(Discussions ongoing to reopen Japanese market, she adds) (560)

By Kathryn McConnell
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Approximately one-third of the U.S. beef export market has reopened, says Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman.

Several countries had banned some or all U.S. beef imports after a sole case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in Washington state in December 2003. Countries have been reopening their markets since the start of an expanded BSE surveillance-testing program was announced early in 2004, she said.

Speaking with reporters July 16 in Washington, Veneman said talks are ongoing with Japan to reopen its market to U.S. beef. Japan had been the largest market for U.S. beef exports in terms of value prior to December 2003.

In May, Japan agreed to participate in a series of technical discussions over three months, Veneman said. In June, a Japanese delegation toured U.S. cattle slaughterhouses and BSE testing facilities and, during the week of July 19, U.S. officials will travel to Tokyo for another technical meeting, she said.

The tour of beef facilities in Colorado gave the Japanese an opportunity to witness the implementation and rigorous enforcement of U.S. safeguards against BSE and the beef industry's compliance, according to an earlier statement by a USDA official.

Veneman noted that Mexico already has resumed approximately 90 percent of its U.S. beef imports. Mexico had been the largest importer of U.S. beef in terms of volume prior to December 2003.

The secretary said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) now is testing for BSE in all animals exhibiting symptoms of central nervous system disorder (CNS), regardless of the age of the animal. Previously, the department tested only animals exhibiting CNS symptoms if they were 30 months or older, and thus considered high-risk animals for BSE.

She said that not all cattle with CNS symptoms have the illness. A cow with an ear infection, for instance, could behave as if it had CNS, she said.

Veneman said USDA has had "great success" from results from its BSE testing program, which became fully operational June 1.

Preliminary findings show that the testing is targeting the highest-risk animals for BSE. The goal of the testing program, in which brain samples will be taken from 268,000 cows over 18 months, is to establish with a 99 percent confidence level whether BSE exists in the United States and, if so, how prevalent it is, said Keith Collins, USDA chief economist. Collins also attended the press briefing.

At this point, USDA is not making any assumptions about whether BSE is prevalent in the United States, Collins said.

Since USDA announced the surveillance-testing program early in 2004, it has quickly and effectively been put in place, Veneman said. As of July 13, more than 17,000 cows had been tested, she said. In comparison, the department tested a total of 5,000 animals in 2001. In 2002 it tested 19,000 cows, and in 2003, slightly more than 20,000, she said.

The sampling is being conducted according to international standards, the secretary said.

Veneman said in June USDA forecast a record-high $61.5 billion in U.S. agriculture exports in 2004. The current record is $60 billion in 1996, she said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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