June 2, 2006

UK producers repeat calls for bans on Brazilian meat

Livestock producers in the United Kingdom and Ireland are repeating their calls to the European Commission to tighten up controls on meat imports from Brazil, voicing their concerns over foot and mouth disease cases there.

The move follows a fact-finding trip to Brazil by a delegation from Ireland.

The UK farming unions and the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) said they are very concerned about the inadequacies in FMD controls that have been reported by the mission to Brazil.

Irish Farmers' Association national livestock chairman John Bryan questioned the European Commission's decision to continue allowing imports of Brazilian beef when five other countries have adopted outright bans. He also said that the Europe is paying less attention on the safety aspect of their beef than the Americans do.

The IFA said the key findings of its visit to Brazil last month, which included a meeting with a key Brazilian FMD expert were non-existent traceability and environmental degradation.

The IFA added there was an absence of animal identification and inadequate FMD management controls in the infected areas.