This is Bob Doughty with the VOA Special English AgricultureReport.
United States agriculture officials have ended theirinvestigation into the case of mad cow disease found in WashingtonState in December.
The Department of Agriculture reported this month on steps takento prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE.These include new restrictions on how cattle can be killed.
New rules also ban the use of what are called “downer” cows forhuman food. Such animals are too sick or injured to walk. However,the infected cow was reported not to have been a downer.
The cow was born in Canada. It was imported into the UnitedStates with eighty other cattle. Investigators found twenty-eight ofthose other cows. In all, officials identifiedtwo-hundred-fifty-five of what they called “animals of interest” inthe case All were killed. Officials say tests found no additionalcases of BSE.
Foreign bans on American beef continue. Major importers likeJapan and Mexico say it is too soon to end their bans. They sayAmerican officials must do more to test cattle.
International experts appointed by the Agriculture Departmenturged American farmers to no longer feed any animal protein to theircows. Some protein can spread the disease. The experts also said theUnited States had probably imported other infected cows.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association criticized the report.It said the report does not fully recognize steps taken by theUnited States and Canada to reduce the risk of BSE.
Last week, there was an unrelated development affecting the beefindustry. A federal jury found that America’s largest meat processorrestricted competition. The jury found that Tyson Fresh Meatsunfairly controlled the price of live cattle and forced prices down.
The jury said Tyson should pay a group of independent cattleproducers more than one-thousand-million dollars. The case inAlabama, called a class action, represents the interests of as manyas thirty-thousand producers.
The action said Tyson made agreements with producers to create asupply of cattle. Tyson could then buy cows from this supply at aset price when market prices were high.
Tyson is appealing the decision. The company buys about one-thirdof the beef cattle in the United States. But it says it does not buyenough to set market prices.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter. This is Bob Doughty.