MINISTER OF Agriculture Roger Clarke is assuring Jamaicans that it is quite safe to consume local beef, despite the mad cow scare generated in the United States.
Speaking with JIS News, Minister Clarke said that the Ministry had very strict rules regarding importation of livestock and had been able to maintain very high standards in relation to animal health locally.
In fact, Minister Clarke stated, "the country is regarded as being top shelf in terms of animal health profile."
Local beef consumers can be further assured as local cattle is grass fed or organically fed, he added.
The ban on beef imported from the United States will only be lifted after assurances of safety received from the World Organisation of Animal Health or Office International des Epizooties (OIE), explained Minister Clarke. Jamaica placed a ban on beef imported from the U.S. on December 24 after the discovery of BSE in a dairy cow (Holstein breed) in Washington State earlier that month.
The OIE was formed in 1924 with the mandate of safeguarding world trade by publishing health standards for international trade in animals and animal products.
