AGRICULTURE REPORT - Economic Effects of Mad Cow Disease

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Economic Effects of Mad Cow Disease¹
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, January 13, 2004

This is Robert Cohen with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. Reports suggest that the first case of mad cow disease in the United States has not worried the public very much. Officials point out that the sick cow came from Canada, although the case remains² under investigation³. But the American beef industry is worried about the economic effects. More than thirty nations have banned American beef.

North America has now had two confirmed cases of bovine⁴ spongiform encephalopathy. Last May, Canada announced a case of the brain-wasting disease in a cow in Alberta. People who eat infected meat can get a rare human form. So the United States and other countries banned imports of Canadian beef.

The ban had a sharp effect on prices. The Economic Research Service of the Agriculture Department reports on prices in the United States. Its information shows that beef prices jumped almost thirty percent in one year. The research service estimated⁵ that prices would remain high because of limited supply. People who want to lose weight have also increased demand for beef and other high-protein foods.

In August, the United States began again to accept some Canadian beef from younger cattle. Imports of live cattle are not yet included.

Then, on December twenty-third, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced the first American case of the disease. Several nations moved within hours to ban American beef. These included Japan, the biggest importer of American beef.

Japan has increased its imports almost every year since the early nineteen-seventies. But, last August, Japan raised import taxes on beef from thirty-eight percent to fifty-percent. The higher customs are meant to help the Japanese beef industry. That industry was hurt by its own outbreak of the disease in two-thousand-one.

Late last week, a Japanese delegation⁶ met with officials in Washington to discuss steps to end the ban. Earlier, Japan said new measures to prevent the spread of the disease were not enough. These include a move to keep all tissue⁷ that may carry the infection out of human food. Other steps include a ban on the use of mechanically⁸ separated meat in food, and the use of sick or injured cows for food.

Japanese officials called for greater steps to test for mad cow disease in the United States. In Japan, every cow is tested for the infection.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Robert Cohen.

1 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 bovine   

adj.牛的；n.牛

参考例句：

• He threw off his pack and went into the rush-grass andand munching,like some bovine creature.他丢开包袱，爬到灯心草丛里，像牛似的大咬大嚼起来。
• He was a gentle,rather bovine man.他是一位文雅而反应迟钝的人。

5 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

6 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

7 tissue   

n.组织；薄纱，薄纸，手巾纸

参考例句：

• As we age we lose muscle tissue.肌肉组织会随着我们日趋衰老而萎缩。
• Athletes have hardly any fatty tissue.运动员几乎没有什么脂肪组织。

8 mechanically   

adv.机械方面地；机械地；物理上地；呆板地

参考例句：

• In this factory the bottles are filled mechanically; no hand touches them. 这个工厂是用机器装瓶，而不是用手。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• This is a mechanically propelled vehicle. 这是一台机械推动的车辆。 来自《简明英汉词典》