Canadian dairy heifers are back in Mexico after a five year hiatus.
Five trucks carrying 192 bred Holsteins arrived in Mexico May 2 and were destined for several farms, said Rick McRonald of the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association.
More shipments were due to leave the second week of May from Walker Farms in Ontario and Trudeau International farm in Quebec.
“Mexico traditionally is the second biggest market next to the United States,” McRonald said.
“They don’t have a heifer raising industry so they have to import heifers to improve their milk production.”
Mexico banned cattle imports from Canada after BSE was discovered in 2003, largely because the United States prohibited Americans from buying feeder cattle from Mexico if it imported Canadian cattle.
Once the U.S. implemented its minimum risk rule last November that allowed breeding stock and mature cattle to be imported from Canada, officials began working on health requirements that would reopen trade with Mexico.
During the ban, Mexico imported cattle from New Zealand and Australia, and 18 months ago started to buy U.S. born cattle.
