Brazil and Argentina Expect Rising Beef Sales

[kskiska]

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 26 — The emergence of a case of mad cow disease in the United States this week has created an unparalleled opportunity for Brazil and Argentina, two of the main competitors of the United States in the booming international beef export market, to capture new customers, government and industry officials here say.

Cattle in both countries graze on grass; they are not fed ground-up animal parts that have been used as feed elsewhere, a practice believed to transmit mad cow disease.

Brazil already has the most beef cattle in the world, more than 170 million head, and now anticipates a big increase in exports in 2004. During the first 10 months of this year, Brazil earned $3.3 billion from exports of meat, more than one-third of it from beef.

"This is a dramatic situation for the United States, and it is a shame that this has happened," said Brazil's minister of agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues. But, he added, "this can open up markets for Brazil," including the United States itself.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/27/international/27BRAZ.html?ex=1073106000&en=1bc78dd4237be32c&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. I wonder if the regime will ban imports of beef, and how will they punish

countries who ban US beef?

[bemildred]

6. I think they are kind of screwed on this one.

Hoist on their own petard. They can try to limit
imports of Latin American beef to this country, but
the rest of it they can't do much about. And from
what I've heard about the quality of the beef, the
business will stay gone. It will be good for the
Western Range anyway. That Brazilian Ag commissioner
sure sounds like he's just filled with sympathy for
us, eh?

Edit: A dairyman I know is of the opinion this does not
happen unless there is bad herd management present too.

[DuctapeFatwa]

7. Ironic that the halal beef industry will also enjoy some new customers

:evilgrin:

[JailForBush]

2. I just hope Brazil doesn't clear more rainforest to feed its cows. N/T

[mouse7]

3. Greeeaaaat. There go the last of the rainforests.

In Brazil, the cattle graze on rainforest land that is able to grow grass for a couple of years, then terns infertile. Rainforest land only stays fertile while the rainforest is growing on it. So the land turns basically to almost scrub wasteland, and the ranchers go cut down more rainforest for their herds to graze on.

[TexasMexican]

4. Good for them, but...

I agree with the other guys worrying about the rainforest.

I'm honestly pretty ignorant about the "rainforest" in Argentina, dont know much about the terrain and whatnot, but I do know that Brazil has plenty of rainforest.

Either way I will continue to carry on eating Texas beef, but I do sort of think Ted Turners idea of brining back Buffalo on the plains would be a good idea and probably a better source of meat for Americans.

[atre]

5. Best meat I ever had

... was at a little restaurant called "Tropical Pizza" on the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls border. And the second best was at an upscale restaurant near the mall right next to GRU in Sao Paulo.

Not terribly relevant to this discussion, but I thought I'd chime in.