EU ban on Brazilian beef raises hopes for Salzburg cattle farmers

Since the beginning of September, the European Union has banned imports of beef from Brazil, giving mountain farmers in the Austrian state of Salzburg better prospects for selling their meat, ORF reported.

The ban is already having a noticeable effect on the domestic market, according to Werner Habermann of Arge Rind. Tourist regions such as Salzburg have many customers who previously bought large quantities of beef from overseas. Those customers are now showing greater demand for the high-quality meat offered by local mountain farmers.

Salzburg’s agricultural sector is not expected to feel the full impact until November. Restaurants stocked up before the ban took effect, with imports of Brazilian beef 20 to 30 percent higher in the first half of this year.