Faced with the United States’ sanitary embargo on Mexican beef, the northern region of the country has redirected its production to supply the Bajío region, since 70% of what is consumed in Querétaro comes from other states, stated Romualdo Moreno, president of the Regional Livestock Union.
He added that Mexican ranchers in the northern region have stopped exporting one million calves to the United States, and now they are sold in the central and Bajío regions of the country.
“I think it’s better for everyone from a sanitary standpoint, don’t you? (…) Yes, before it was cheaper to bring it from the south, but the reality is that many of the necessary sanitary measures weren’t followed because they opened the borders, and much of it was also cattle smuggling,” he explained.
He noted that there have been two confirmed cases of screwworm in cattle in the state; however, they believe that the measures they have implemented for the past year are working.
“Yesterday morning at 9:00 a.m., we had a meeting with everyone involved in this matter. We’re also reviewing the regulations regarding livestock, ensuring that all animals have ear tags and that everything goes to the slaughterhouse properly certified and under close observation by the responsible veterinarians,” he stated.
He emphasized that the cases detected in Querétaro cattle are not alarming, as they have been able to control them in time.
He stressed that the cattle participating in the pavilion at the Querétaro International Livestock Fair will be exclusively from the region, and they will also conduct a thorough inspection to detect any diseases.
“Everything that enters the fair must be completely clean and healthy, and that’s our responsibility. We have to submit official requests for permission from SADER (the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) regarding livestock and animal movement,” he indicated.
He explained that they expect 180 head of cattle from Querétaro only to prevent the spread of screwworm cases from the south of the country.
Source: oem
