Colorado

Colorado Cattlemen's Association, CCA members, elected officials, agency personnel, and beef producers across the nation have been working for well over one year to re-open trade with Japan. On Dec. 12, USDA announced the partial lifting of the ban. U.S. beef, from cattle under 20 months of age, will be allowed into the Japanese market. CCA applauds this partial lifting of the Japanese ban but will continue to work just as diligently on this issue until Japan allows U.S. beef and beef products from cattle under 30 months of age. With Japan representing nearly one-third of the industry's beef exports, completely reopening this valuable market has been, and will continue to be, a top priority for CCA.

For U.S. cattlemen to meet export requirements into Japan, cattle must come through a Quality System Assessment (QSA), which is part of the Beef Export Verification (BEV) program run by USDA. The QSA stretches from the farm to the packer and ensures that the beef is source and age verified. U.S. producers can apply for approval of their own USDA QSA Program for age verification or have their cattle enrolled in one of the approved age verification programs, listed online at www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/arc/qsap.htm or http://processverified.usda.gov.

After the USDA announced the first U.S. case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2003, the Japanese closed their borders to U.S. beef. Two years prior to this, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) closed U.S. borders to Japanese beef because of BSE cases. The re-opening of the Japanese market comes with product limitations.

CCA has worked, and will continue to work, for the best interests of Colorado's beef industry. "We are proud to support and contribute to Colorado producers' needs, and will continue to work toward enhancing the livelihood and environment for Colorado beef producers," said Bill Gray, CCA president.