China has become the latest country to impose restrictions on Canadian beef imports following Canada’s announcement that two cows born on the same Alberta farm were found to have mad cow disease. China joins Taiwan, Peru, Belarus and South Korea in imposing restrictions, reports Global News. None of the countries are among Canada’s largest beef markets, though exports to China generate about $40 million in sales annually.

The restrictions have led to concern among Canada’s beef producers.

“I am very concerned. I hate to see it,” said Dave Durie of Duralta Farms east of Vegreville. “We finally got to where we are making a profit and people are so up and up about this deal.

“The cattle industry, you feel good about coming to a sale now and spending a dollar and everybody wants to spend a dollar. But it makes you nervous,” he added.

“It doesn’t matter who joins the list, we wouldn’t be happy about it,” said Verly Olson, Alberta’s minister of agriculture and rural development. “We are very fortunate at this point that our major trading partners are still solidly with us.”

It is not known how long the temporary restrictions will last, or if other countries will add restrictions of their own.

Source: GlobalNews.ca