This article is from page 37 of the 2007-07-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 37 JPG
THE long awaited ban on Brazil- ian beef imports looks to be inching ever closer follow news this week of a change in political attitude on the issue. Following meetings in Scotland and France last week, the IFA’s National Livestock Committee Chairman, John Bryan, said there was strong momentum building in Europe for a total ban on Brazilian beef imports into Europe.
Bryan claims to have received 100 per cent support for a Brazilian beef ban from the NFU England and Wales, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers’ Union following a meeting in Edinburgh.
Meanwhile across the water in France, the FNSEA, have also placed their full support behind a Brazilian beef ban.
“The new Agriculture Minister in the Scottish Executive, Richard Lochhead has expressed his real concern regarding Brazilian beef imports which fail to meet EU stand- ards and has undertaken to write to the EU Commission outlining his concerns on the matter,” said Bryan.
“Serious pressure 1S now emerg- ing on the EU Commission to apply further restrictions on Brazil. The regionalisation policy adopted by the EU Commission in Brazil has no credibility in view of the complete lack of traceability and movement
controls.
“With the vast majority of animals not tagged, no traceability, no effec- tive border controls and ineffective FMD controls, the EU policy of re- eionalisation cannot work.”
Clare farmer and Chairperson of ICMSA’s Beef and Cattle Commit- tee, Martin McMahon, has also com- mented that the ban would seriously aid struggling farmers.
“The situation with Brazilian beef 1s very serious and it has to be stopped. It shouldn’t be allowed to bring in a product of inferior quality when we have very high standards in the Irish industry,” he said.
“The beef industry is under se- vere pressure but Minister Cough-
lan seems to be very committed to making sure that it isn’t sold out. The winter finishers will determine the price on store cattle and if people aren’t prepared to go back out and buy stores then farmers will have to sell at lower prices.
“It has a knock on effect on the size of stores. The price of feedstuff is also a concern. Barley can be up to €180 a tonne and the prices rose again recently so farmers are losing again at that end. There are limita- tions on cattle over 400 kilos so if you can’t sell those cattle at a pre- mium you just have to take a lower price. The industry is all up in the air at the moment.”