March 8, 2011

Dutch industry may be affected by Brazilian pork imports

The EU intends to permit Brazilian beef, pork and chicken into Europe under a free trade agreement, which is a potential threat to tens of thousands of Dutch family farms, according to MP, Henk Jan Ormel.

While beef imports will cost the European industry approximately EUR25 million (US$34.8 million), according to the European farming lobby group, Copa-Cegeca, there will be an even more adverse effect on the pork industry, Ormel said.

"While we are sharpening the animal welfare and environmental demands on Dutch farmers, we are bringing in cut price meat via the back door," he said. "This will mean the end of our farming system."

"We should at least be insisting that all the meat which ends up on Dutch supermarket shelves has been produced in line with European standards," Albert Jan Maat of the farm organisation, LTO Nederland said.