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Texas Beef Industry Watches Futures in Wake of Mad Cow Discovery

Texas cattle prices may not see a big impact from a discovery of mad cow in California
KUT News
Texas cattle prices may not see a big impact from a discovery of mad cow in California

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says he doesn’t expect the Texas beef industry will be significantly affected by a case of BSE — or mad cow disease – found in a California dairy cow.

The disease was discovered when the cow was selected for random sampling. It did not enter the food supply, and mad cow disease cannot be transmitted through milk.

Still, Staples and those in the Texas beef industry are watching the futures markets closely. Prices dropped immediately after the news of the discovery but rebounded overnight.

“I feel pretty good that we’ll be able to move forward. The fact that there is an all-time low in the number of Texas and U.S. beef herds also indicates that maybe it won’t have an economic impact," said Staples.

So far, countries that import U.S. beef have said that they’re not planning to enact bans. But one major South Korean retailer has stopped selling it for the time being. Staples says he believes the case of mad cow is an isolated incident and that it shows that U.S. protocols are working.

Laura first joined the KUT team in April 2012. She now works for the statewide program Texas Standard as a reporter and producer. Laura came to KUT from the world of television news. She has worn many different hats as an anchor, reporter and producer at TV stations in Austin, Amarillo and Toledo, OH. Laura is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, a triathlete and enjoys travel, film and a good beer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and pets.
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