Madras rancher hopeful but wary as China lifts beef ban
Central Oregon cattle producers will have access to the China market when it comes to exports, starting next month.
The Trump administration announced last month that for the first time in 14 years, beef exports would be allowed in China after a mad-cow disease in 2003 in the U.S. halted trade.
It’s welcome news to Johanna and Jeremy Symons, who operate The Symons Beef Company in Madras.
They said Wednesday this is a great step, because the demand for beef will grow even more with China now looking at buying American beef.
“This industry is getting hounded and hammered all the time by different things, whether its environmentalists or just people making it tough on us,” Johanna Symons said. “Price fluctuation — we sell out beef on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange stock market. You don’t know if you’re going to get $500 for an animal or $1,000,”
Symons said she hopes the Chinese government will play fair when it comes to buying American beef.
“A few people are little stand-offish, because they’re not really sure if it’s just a lot of talk,” she said.
“I know China can put a lot of restrictions on how we produce the beef here or how the beef is raised here, as far what they’ll expect in their country or not. There is a lot of stipulations. I’m not going to get too excited until it actually comes out and the rules are made and the restrictions are in place.”
