050605 Seminole Beef Approved For Sale to JapanJune 11, 2005The Seminole Tribe of Florida Inc. is signing off on shipping documents for the export of its beef to Japan, even though Japan's ban on U.S. beef has not yet been lifted. Nearly 500 head of Seminole cattle have been purchased by feedlots speculating there's going to be a big demand for source verified U.S. beef in Japan once the trade doors re-open, the Tribe said in a release. Currently Congress is negotiating with Japan to open by end of summer. Offering source verification of their 14,000 herd of cattle with 48-hour trace back capability may have been the reason for a record-breaking annual sale the Tribe had in April. It provided no details on the overall sales figures. The Tribe had just finished plugging an RFID ear tag in every cow's left ear. With the use of electronic technology tracking capabilities, the Seminole Tribe said it can improve the management of its herds and provide the kind of data that buyer's want, a release said. The economics of raising cattle on valuable land will require long-term planning to insure profitable return on their investment, the Tribe said. The Tribe, headquartered in Hollywood, has gaming operations in Tampa.
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