British beef export ban ends

A ten-year ban on British beef exports, imposed to prevent the spread of mad cow disease, has been officially lifted.

European Union officials agreed to lift the export ban, imposed in 1996, as a result of a drop in cases of BSE in the UK.

The changes mean that live cattle born on or after August 1 1996, as well as beef from cattle slaughtered after June 15, 2005, can now be exported.

However, restrictions will remain in place for beef containing vertebral material and for beef sold on the bone.

The National Farmers' Union has welcomed the lifting of the ban, saying that the decision will help rebuild a trade that was worth over £600 million a year to the British economy before the ban was imposed.

Italy is historically one of the largest markets for prime cuts of English beef and is seen as a key market.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: "The lifting of the British beef ban is fantastic news for farmers and the UK economy. What this means is we can now take full advantage of the huge investment the British beef industry has made in quality assurance and which gives our beef a real edge over the competition.

Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food Lord Bach also welcomed the announcement. He said: "This is excellent news for the British farming industry - news that is long overdue.

"Prices for British beef are currently at their highest for nine years. The re-opening of new markets should lead to new opportunities for farmers.

"It is our sincere hope that farmers and beef exporters will make the most of this opportunity to market their excellent quality product abroad and to show other member states that British beef truly is among the best in the world."

However, both Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA have protested against a return to live animal exports, arguing that animals are subjected to "immense" suffering during the long journeys.

The RSPCA said that both existing and forthcoming new EU laws on transporting live animals allow calves as young as two weeks old to be in transit for nine hours with a water/feed break of just one hour, followed by another nine or more hours on the road.

Rowen West-Henzell of CIWF said: "The sea crossing to the continent is likely to cause extra stress to calves, as it adds to the complexity of the journey. And transporting them over significant distances raises the risk of disease in young calves as they are not developed enough to cope with the stress of transport before they are at least one month old.

"Many people thought that this trade had ended permanently in 1996, when the ban was put in place because of BSE. Sadly, it seems that the time has not been used productively by the industry to develop more welfare-friendly alternatives to a resumption of the export trade."

(KMcA)