Market for Slaughter Horses Plunging in Wake of “Burger-gate”

[Sunlei]

Source: USDA DATA

EWA (Chicago) – USDA data for the first quarter of 2013 indicates a precipitous drop in the number of horses going from the US to Mexico for slaughter. The flow of horses south had been increasing steadily for over two years but dropped 62% between the first full week of 2013 and the end of the first quarter.

Since the closing of the US based horse slaughter plants in 2007, US horses have been going to slaughter in Canada and Mexico for consumption in the European Union (EU) and Russia. Beginning in late January of this year horse meat began to be detected masquerading as beef in countless products across Europe and much of the world. The resulting scandal was dubbed “Burger-gate” for the fact that horse meat was first detected in Burger King “all beef patties” in England.

The EU scandal also explained another mystery. The available data indicated that the consumption of horse meat in EU countries was flat to down over the past decade, but the export of US horses kept climbing.

The sales of processed beef products have dropped in the EU in the wake of the comingling scandal, but the consumers of horse meat in the EU were unlikely to change their buying patterns since they were intentionally consuming it all along. Therefore, Holland reasons, “Any drop in horse meat sales is most likely attributable to its no longer being sold as beef.”

The current trend does not bode well for fledgling companies trying to bring slaughter back to the US since they will be competing with multinational conglomerates in what appears to be a rapidly shrinking market.



Read more: http://rtfitchauthor.com/2013/04/05/market-for-slaughter-horses-plunging-in-wake-of-burger-gate/

[littlemissmartypants]

1. I believe I am the one that broke this story here at DU and I am proud of that. eom

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014369799

Love, Peace and Shelter.

lmsp

[Sunlei]

3. That was a good breaking topic, Thank you

This scam has gone on for so many years. The great majority of our Ranchers and Farmers are good honest people. I'm surprised how they allow themselves to be ripped off part of their leget meat business by these couple of 'horse traders'.

The only politican I can think of who placed constant fake media stories and tried many times FOR YEARS, to grab Americas horses for slaughter has been Sue Wallis RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Thank you from all the horses and the humans who love them

[KatyaR]

2. Oklahoma's governor just signed a bill making

horse slaughter legal in the state. Of course, since all meat has to be exported out of the country, where will it go?

This was the single most STUPID thing that went through the Legislature this session. The family of one of the co-sponsors owns an animal auction house--wonder how much money they'll make off this? I've never seen people so angry over a bill, and yet it passed through the House and the Senate with ease. It was said to be humane treatment of horses instead of people leaving them to starve and die on their own because they were old or the owners couldn't afford to take care of them.

Disgusting.

[Sunlei]

4. problem is animal starvers can ALWAYS take their horses to the 100s of auction houses,

But they never did, even when America had horse slaughter.