10/26/05 Australia Beef Association

Australia Beef Association It has come to my attention that we are not the only country that has problems understanding some government agency policies. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to explain. The Australia Beef Association is having real trouble understanding some policies government departments are proposing in that country. One agency is stating all Australian beef will be pulled from the market if there is an outbreak of BSE in Australia. Now what has Australian beef producers so upset is the Department of Trade's proposal to import beef from countries that have had a BSE case. This baffling situation comes after Australia has imported beef from Brazil, a country with foot and mouth disease, while Australian beef producers are faced with a very expensive trace-back system to protect against a market access loss if there is an outbreak of BSE or Foot and Mouth Disease. Evidently, the Australian Department of Trade got into this position because of a clause in the U.S. Free Trade Agreement that adopts World Organization for Animal Health guidelines. Maybe these free trade agreements don't benefit producers on either side of the negotiations. We've seen similar silly proposals in the U.S. by different government agencies. I guess traders from all countries take production so much for granted that the only worry they have is about making a deal without one thought of how it affects actual producers. These same producers truly create trader's jobs by producing goods that can be traded. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 10/12/05