Argentina airs beef about 'mad cow' scare

March 31, 1996
Web posted at: 2:55 p.m. EST (1955 GMT)

From Correspondent Ronnie Lovler

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- Argentina, one of the world's largest beef exporters, is getting angry about "mad cow" disease.

What's its beef? Authorities worry that its healthy cattle will pay the price for what is happening in Great Britain. Dozens of countries have banned the import of British beef.

"This is going to cause problems for all countries that produce beef. Consumption will be reduced because we will be guilty by association," said Enrique Crotta, president of the Argentina Rural Association."

The beef scare was prompted recently when scientists speculated that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, is linked to the deadly Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease in humans.

To counter the world's reaction, the Argentine government is going on the offensive with an "eat beef" campaign that will kick off in Germany, Argentina's best customer for its quality beef.

"We want to differentiate Argentina beef in terms of sanitation. And we want to do this without hurting those who are suffering because of the disease," says Argentina's minister of agriculture, Felipe Sola."

Terencio Moche of the Argentina Meat Packers Association also seeks to avoid further injury to the beef industry.

"We either all win out of this situation, or we all lose."

But within Argentina, which has one of the world's highest rates of per capita beef consumption -- 65 kilograms (143 pounds) per person per year -- mad cows aren't scaring anyone off, not even the visitors. (128K AIFF sound or 128K WAV sound)

Ironically, Argentina's war with Great Britain over the Malvinas, or Falkland Islands, in 1982 is one reason Argentina is mad-cow free.

"There was no trade because of the war, and then, since 1990 we prohibited importation of live beef and genetic material from England," Sola said.

One other thing that may have kept Argentine cattle free of mad cow disease is the way they are raised. The bovine farm animals do not consume processed feed, just the bounty of open grazing pastures.

"The natural way of life of the animals is very important for the health of the animals and for the health of the people that consume the beef," said Ricardo Orazi, vice president of the Argentina Aberdeen-Angus Association.

Beef may not be Argentina's most important export in terms of income, but in terms of national identity, beef and Argentina are nearly synonymous.

The quality of Argentine beef is known the world over -- but the message Argentina must now get out is that their beef doesn't just taste good, it's also safe to eat.

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