MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Next US ambassador to Uruguay could be a New Mexico sheep farmer

Mujica made the announcement after meeting with US Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said that the future US ambassador in Montevideo could “probably” be Edward Avalos, currently Under Secretary for trade and regulatory programs from the US Department of Agriculture.

 Mujica is currently on a visit to the United States and on Wednesday met with Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack hoping to reach an agreement of 'natural' beef and lamb with bone exports to the US.

Following the meeting the Uruguayan leader made the announcement on Mr. Avalos who is a sheep farmer from the state of New Mexico with more than 30 years experience in livestock and agriculture commerce.

The current US official visited Uruguay last November and met with President Mujica to announce that the US has opened its doors to lamb and mutton with bone exports from Uruguay. Negotiations had been ongoing for decades.

Ambassador Julissa Reynoso is expected to leave her post in the near future to join Hillary Clinton's primaries and presidential campaign.

Mujica also announced that at the end of the month Uruguay will present to the US sanitary authorities a document supported by the UN Office on Animal Health, OIE, which shows that mutton and lamb with bone do not transmit foot and mouth disease.

“This should help to shorten the admission process which currently is estimated to involve up to two years”, said the Uruguayan leader, adding that Uruguay expects to be awarded by the US a quota to export 'natural' beef free of hormones, pharmaceuticals and bred on natural pastures.