US farmers and beef lobbies want to stop the import of fresh meat from Paraguay

A wide ranging alliance of US government officials, cattle farmers and beef organizations gathered to strongly oppose the purchase and import of fresh beef from Paraguay, but a final ruling from the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service decided in favor of the Mercosur country member. The decision became effective last December 14 and opens the doors to the Paraguayan produce. Paraguay has struggled to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease for years, the main reason why their beef produce was banned in the US for a quarter of a century. Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious and has the potential of causing massive losses to livestock and breeders. The USDA estimates that a severe outbreak in North America has the potential to cost more than US$ 200 billion, before it is brought under control. On Dec. 13, Senators Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, and Jon Tester, D-Montana, announced they would file a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn ...