The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to greenlight a proposal that would allow imports of fresh beef from certain sections of Brazil. The South American country has a history of foot and mouth disease, a highly contagious pathogen that cripples cattle. Imports could lower beef prices. And the USDA says there’s little risk of the disease hitching a ride to the U.S. on packages of meat. As Harvest Public Media’s Luke Runyon reports, the deal has many American ranchers wringing their hands.
For more information on proposed changes to the Brazilian beef import policies, visit Harvest Public Media online. Harvest Public Media is a collaborative project between Kansas Public Radio and other public radio stations, focusing on rural life, farming and agricultural topics. To hear this story again, or to get more information on any of the Harvest Public Media stories, visit HarvestPublicMedia.org.