The picture shows a mad cow.(Xinhua Photo)

     BEIJING, July 21(Xinhuanet) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will reduce its mad cow surveillance program by 90 percent in the current situation of a smaller presence of the disease there, according to Reuters Friday.

    The USDA plans to reduce its cattle-testing level to 40,000 head per year, down from an average of about 30,000 head each month since June 2004.

    The reduced testing level, to take effect after 30 days, will cost 8 million dollars a year, down from 1 million per week at the height of testing. USDA said it will focus on the "most at-risk animals" that show telltale signs of the disease.

    USDA officials have said the testing program was designed only to gauge the prevalence of the disease. Public health is guarded by rules that protect cattle feed from contamination and require meatpackers to remove the brains and spinal cords from older cattle, they contend, not additional testing.

    Many countries including Japan and South Korea shut their markets to U.S. beef in 2003 after America's first case of mad cow disease was discovered. Despite intense lobbying by the Bush administration, top export markets remain closed.

    U.S. beef exports this year are estimated at 1.0 billion lbs, down nearly 60 percent from 2003.  Enditem