Beef Markets

<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JAPAN_US_MAD_COW?SITE=MTGRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT" target="_blank">Japan Easing American Beef Exports Ban</a><br />n<br />nSome potentially very good news for the cattle industry. Don't get me wrong, there are still some sticking points.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>During the talks, U.S. and Japanese officials reviewed a Japanese proposal to exempt younger cows from testing. They also discussed methods to confirm the age of cattle, including using dental and birth records, the official said on condition of anonymity.<br />n<br />n But dental checks have rarely been used on animals so young, and the two sides have yet to agree on details, he said. Public broadcaster NHK said Japan has demanded more precise methods for determining age.<br />n<br />n "There's never been a need to identify animals 20 months or younger before … We proposed a way to do it and we're going to be working together to verify that it does work," a second member of the U.S. delegation said on condition of anonymity.</blockquote><br />n<br />nNow I don't know what is going to be required here but I did this year sign a document that went with the big bunch of calves that steated when my calving dates were and that verified I had not feed them any supplements that I knew contained bone meal. Sounds to me like the feeder who bought my calves was looking ahead to exactly this situation. With my calving dates by the time they slaughter the cattle they will be under 20 months of age and eligible for the Japanese market if all things are worked out.<br />n<br />nHow much of the Japanese market we will regain is a big question I can't answer. The Australians have made a large inroad in the market during the ban and whether, with our high priced beef, we can get it back I don't know. But it is good knowing there is another outlet for beef.<br />n<br />nWhile this might be good news for the cattle industry, consumers are not going to benifit by it in the US. This will only keep cattle prices high in the meat counter so it will take longer before they start coming down. Sorry, but I will enjoy the high prices while they last.<br />n<br />n<b>Open markets offer the only realistic hope of pulling billions of people in developing countries out of abject poverty, while sustaining prosperity in the industrialized world. Kofi Annan</b>