COLOMBIA – Colombia has officially lifted its ban on U.S. beef imports from states where dairy cattle were impacted by the H5N1 virus.
The restriction, which had been in place since April, drew criticism from U.S. industry representatives, who argued that the decision lacked scientific justification, as beef herds were unaffected by the outbreak.
Colombia was the only country to impose such restrictions on U.S. beef exports.
Dan Halstrom, President and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), issued a statement acknowledging the effort made by various U.S. government bodies, particularly the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
According to Halstrom, USDA staff stationed in Bogotá worked persistently to resolve the issue.
He also thanked Colombian beef importers and consumers who continued to support U.S. products despite the trade halt.
Before the ban, the U.S. was the leading supplier of imported beef to Colombia, as reported by USMEF.
The restriction had exempted beef from states where poultry flocks were affected by H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), except for those states that also reported cases in dairy cattle.
The states where H5N1 was confirmed in dairy cattle include Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Idaho, South Dakota, North Carolina, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma, and California.
Meanwhile, Colombia remains a significant poultry producer, with the sector experiencing a 3.5% growth in 2021.
The laying hen production system saw a 4% rise, while broiler production increased by 3.2%. The broiler industry produced over 1.67 million tons of chicken meat during the same year.
In 2019, Avidesa Mac Pollo S.A and its subsidiary, Avidesa de Occidente S.A, ranked as the top poultry farming companies in the country.
Operadora Avicola Colombia followed, generating approximately 590 billion pesos in revenue.
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