The Potential Impact of a Proposed Ban on the Sale of US Horses for Slaughter and Human Consumption

Authors

M. North
DeeVon Bailey, Utah State UniversityFollow
Ruby Ward, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Agribusiness

Volume

23

Publication Date

2005

Abstract

Both federal and state governments in the United States are being asked to enact laws that would make slaughtering of horses for human consumption illegal. In the past, the United States was one of the principal exporters of horsemeat to Europe. This paper examines the impacts of a proposed ban on the U.S. horse industry and the U.S. export market for horsemeat. Findings indicate a loss of approximately $300 per horse in the United States as a result of such a ban. The supply of U.S. exported horsemeat has declined during the past decade. The results suggest that the most significant factors influencing this decline are lower real prices and competing imports.

Recommended Citation

North, M., D. Bailey, and R. Ward. “The Potential Impact of a Proposed Ban on the Sale of US Horses for Slaughter and Human Consumption.” Journal of Agribusiness. 23(Spring 2005).