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To: Jamey who wrote (91422)	11/27/2002 8:39:58 AM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 116873

Additional hurt to balance of trade? Posted on Tue, Nov. 26, 2002 State officials investigate bovine tuberculosis in Fresno County KIM BACA Associated Press FRESNO, Calif. - State officials are investigating how a cow that tested positive for bovine tuberculosis got the disease. If they track the animal from a Fresno County meat packing plant back to a California herd, it could mean the state loses its bovine TB status, hurting its $6 billion beef and cattle industry. A federal meat inspector discovered a lesion on a carcass at Beef Packers Inc. on Sept. 23, but investigators are uncertain of where the cow originated, said Steve Lyle, spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. "We've been tracing it, trying to find information about the case and trying to answer the question whether it's dairy or beef (cattle) for several weeks," he said, adding the cow may have come from outside California. The meat packing plant did not return a call Monday seeking comment. If the cow can be traced back to a herd and if a second cow from the herd tests positive for bovine TB, it would mean a second outbreak in California, causing the state to lose its hard-earned bovine TB-free status. It would force cattlemen to administer costly tests before shipping cows out-of-state and delaying the process. "It would be the beef industry that will be jeopardized," said Benjamin Higgins, spokesman for the California Cattlemen's Association. "A sizable portion of our cattle get shipped to the Midwest." The association estimates it could cost the state's cattlemen about $2 million a year to test animals. California's $6 billion milk and beef industry represents more than a fifth of the state's $27.7 billion agriculture industry.(cont) bayarea.com