OTTAWA — Mexican beef could be exported to Canada following the all clear from food safety inspectors.
Canadian meat inspectors have audited Mexican beef plants and deemed them to be equivalent to Canadian plants, Claudine Pagé of Agriculture Canada told the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting held in Ottawa March 4-7.
The exports are likely to be trim or beef for further processing.
“Beef from Mexico will not displace Canadian product,” said Rob Meijer, manager of Canada Beef Inc.
Mexico is already exporting some beef to the United States and Japan.
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Negotiations are also continuing on allowing Canada to ship beef to Mexico from cattle older than 30 months.
Mexico was a solid customer of Canadian beef before BSE was discovered in Canada in 2003.
“Our volumes to Mexico are down significantly,” Meijer said.
However the value of shipments is high.
Canada Beef chair Chuck McLean said good deals have been made. Canadian beef is going to Cancun via Air Canada to the tourist resorts for a 12 week program.
The problem is Canada cannot supply enough of what the hotels want because Canadian beef volumes are shrinking.
“We can’t supply that market with the product,” he said. “It appears we are giving them all we’ve got.”
Inside and outside skirts are popular, and it is hoped some products could be substituted to fill demand.
“North America has the lowest inventory we’ve had in probably 40 years, and everybody is having the same issues,” Meijer said.
