Thursday, 31st January 2008
European Commission bans imports of Brazilian beef
Dear Sir,
The news that the European Commission has decided to ban imports of Brazilian beef into the EU, albeit on a temporary basis, must be regarded as a breakthrough by Scottish beef producers. The ban will halt the estimated 300,000 tonnes of beef imported into the EU each year from Brazil and is as a direct result of a ground-breaking bit of investigative detective work by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), who inspected 42 cattle ranches in Brazil last May and uncovered a catalogue of failures involving appalling standards of traceability, poor production standards, lax border and movement controls and the illegal use of hormones. Despite repeated warnings from the European Commission, the Brazilian government has failed to remedy the situation. The total ban will now remain in force until they comply with the same rigorous standards we apply to our own European beef producers.
Taken alongside the news that Argentina has, for the first time, imposed export tariffs on their beef, because of growing demand and a shortage of supply in their home market, this should mean that the supply of beef from Latin America dwindles to a trickle, providing Scottish beef producers with a golden opportunity to regain lost market share. After years of doom and gloom with Foot & Mouth, BSE, Bluetongue disease and rising input costs, it is great news that at long last healthy, home-grown Scottish beef will once again take its rightful place at the top of our shopping lists.
Struan Stevenson, MEP
