This is a transcript of PM broadcast at 1800 AEST on local radio. Argentina has confirmed that it has 25 cases of the highly infectious virus and suspects another 28 animals may be affected. With the disease spreading through Europe and now South America you could be excused for thinking Australian beef exporters will be jumping for joy at the export markets now available to them. David Mark reports that our farmers are making some extra cash due to increased prices but try as they may they can't make cows out of thin air.
Lets start with some basic beef export facts.
Peter Barnard is the Marketing Services manager with Meat and Livestock Australia. Australia's beef production is about 2 million tonnes annually, and around about two-thirds of that gets exported. Last year we exported 902,000 tonnes ship weight - that made Australia the largest beef exporter in the world. Mainly in the Asia Pacific region. Our major export destination last year in terms of volume was the United States, followed by Japan, Korea, Canada and Taiwan.