| |
Israel doesn’t have enough domestic calf production to meet their
rising demand for fresh beef. Israel imports approximately 150,000 feeder
calves annually, many of them 200 to 330-pound Holstein bulls. Preferred
breeds are Simmental, Hereford and Charolais crossbreds. Many of their feeder
calves have come from Eastern Europe or Australia. Poland was the largest
supplier prior to the discovery of BSE in their herds. Hungary is now their
major source of imported feeder cattle. With growing concerns about the
health, wholesomeness and performance of the cattle they import, Israeli
producers have been seeking new feeder calf suppliers. They are looking
to U.S. sources.
The Negev Foundation conducted a preliminary study to determine the feasibility
of Ohio as a new source for bull calves. The Negev Foundation facilitated
discussions between Ohio producers and Israel government entities. As
talks progressed, the Initiative received, through ODA, a USDA Federal-State
Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) grant which funded a more detailed
study and a trade mission in February 2004 that sent ten OH cattle producers,
Ohio Department of Agriculture officials (including ODA Director Dailey),
and Ohio State University representatives to Israel. They met with potential
Israeli buyers, industry, trade association, local and federal government
representatives, and numerous cattle experts. They visited feedlot operations,
studied kosher requirements, toured supermarkets, and explored which
breeds of feeder calves would be preferred.
The trade mission helped to open this new market to Ohio producers.
Israel banned all U.S. beef and cattle imports only a few weeks prior
to the mission because of a single case of BSE in Washington State.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS) [link
to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/] and Israel’s Veterinary Service
need to resolve outstanding veterinary protocol issues beyond BSE. Until
the BSE issue is resolved, the Israeli regulators are unwilling to work
out the rest of the health protocols, which are steep and may constitute
a “non-tariff” trade barrier. When the BSE issue is resolved
and health protocols are established, both sides anticipate that export
markets will open for Ohio feeder calves.
As a first step, we anticipate designing and implementing a trial shipment
program, to test the acceptability and performance of Ohio feeder calf
shipments to Israel.
In the meanwhile, The Negev Foundation and several of the trade mission
participants are exploring related projects:
- Exporting Ohio
cattle genetics (sperm and frozen embryos), which
are unaffected by the BSE ban, to Israel, along with some novel
artificial insemination and estrus synchronization techniques that
can increase early-season pregnancies and produce more uniform calf
crops.
- Marketing
in the U.S. a calf feeder system developed in Israel.
In addition, The Israeli Beef Breeders Association is planning a U.S.
mission Apr 3-14, 2005. About 20 Israeli cattlemen will visit herds
in several states, including Ohio. The mission will give potential Israeli
buyers a better understanding of U.S. and Ohio beef and dairy cattle
production systems, live cattle export process and animal health issues.
For additional details, see http://www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/FSMIP/FY2003/OH0402.pdf
[Back to Projects List]
|
