Australian Beef Association opposes imports relaxation
The Australian Beef Association yesterday told the current Australian Senate inquiry into Beef Imports that the majority of local beef producers will continue to oppose changes to Australia’s beef import laws.
The Association said that relaxation of current import laws raised concerns of imports being affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) (Mad Cow Disease). As European countries began reporting outbreaks of BSE in 2001, Australia had implemented blanket restrictions on beef imports. Federal legislation prohibited imports of beef products from any country that had reported any outbreaks of BSE.
The Australian government believes the science behind BSE is now sufficiently developed to permit imports with acceptable risk mitigation strategies being put in place. The government is relying on recommendations made in the report by Professor John Mathews.
The Senate Inquiry into beef imports is continuing although the changes to beef import laws are scheduled to come into effect on 1 March 2010.
Please note in future that the Australian Beef Association is not “Australian beef producers” as you have stated in this article. They represent about 1% or less of the total population of beef producers in Australia. Articulating these people represent us is misleading. Please refer to them in future as ” Australian Beef Association”
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