Local beef is safe says Jamaican agriculture minister

Thursday, January 1, 2004

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Jamaican Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke has assured Jamaicans that it is quite safe to consume local beef despite the mad cow scare generated in the United States.

Speaking with JIS News, Minister Clarke said that the Ministry had very strict rules regarding importation of livestock and had been able to maintain very high standards in relation to animal health locally.

In fact, Minister Clarke stated, "The country is regarded as being top shelf in terms of animal health profile."

Local beef consumers can be further assured as local cattle is grass fed or organically fed, he added.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease is a fatal disease that affects the brain and spinal cord of cattle. Research indicates that the source of BSE is cattle feed prepared from bovine tissue such as brain and spinal cord that have been infected with the BSE agent. 

The ban on beef imported from the United States will only be lifted after assurances of safety received from the World Organization of Animal Health or Office International des Epizooties (OIE) said Minister Clarke. Jamaica placed a ban on beef imported from the US on December 24 after the discovery of BSE in a dairy cow (Holstein breed) in Washington State earlier in the month.

Turning to the effect of the ban on local beef cattle growers, Minister Clarke admitted that although it might increase demand for local beef cattle, some consumers would still be reluctant to consume beef.

"In terms of farmers selling a few more cows, it might be good in the short term but any thing that puts up a red flag about eating beef anywhere in the world does affect consumption right here in Jamaica; although we can boast we have a top shelf animal health profile," the Agriculture Minister observed.

Minister Clarke also advised farmers to take advantage of the situation by developing their pastures and bringing down the cost of production.

Indicating that some 66 per cent of beef imported originated from the US, Minister Clarke added that the Ministry was considering importing the meat from New Zealand and Australia.

Mr. Clarke noted that the situation in the US was an isolated case. "It is not a widespread situation," he pointed out. "It is an isolated case and the US government has moved with alacrity and dispatch to deal with the whole situation and this will give the people a level of comfort and confidence," he added.

The OIE was formed in 1924 with the mandate of safeguarding world trade by publishing health standards for international trade in animals and animal products.

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