This article is from page 38 of the 2007-05-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
PRESSURE is mounting on the Eu- ropean Commission to introduce an all out ban on Brazilian beef follow- ing an IFA survey into the South American beef sector.
IFA President, Padraig Walshe, presented the results of the study to EU Commission officials in Brussels last Thursday which he claims in- cludes “extensive factual evidence” that raises major questions over sec- tor.
During the 7-day visit to Brazil, a team from the IFA and the Farmers Journal visited 15 farms in the states of Parana, Mato Grosso de Sol and Mato Grosso. In addition, the team observed farming practices on a fur-
ther 27 farms on their travels.
‘Based on the evidence we found of non existent cattle traceability, wide- spread illegal removal and cutting out of tags, totally inadequate move- ment and FMD controls and the use of hormone growth promoters, the only conclusion for the EU Commis- sion is to immediately impose a total ban on all Brazilian beef imports into Europe,” said IFA national livestock chairman John Bryan, who was part of the Brazilian trip.
Bryan went on to accused the EU Commission, particularly ‘Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, of pursuing a politically-motivated trade agenda on Brazilian beef imports.
“On the few farms where there were tags, we found routine and widespread removal and cutting out of the official SISBOV tags in order to facilitate illegal movement,” he SrHTOR
“It is clear from our visit that the movement of cattle from FMD re- stricted states into unrestricted clear states 1s widespread.
“This explains why actual imports into the EU have fallen by only 2 per cent, despite restrictions on states which accounted for over 60 per cent of EU imports before the FMD crisis new lO ey
“We saw evidence of large scale cattle movement across state borders driven by higher prices in the unre- stricted states.”
Bryan went on to say that Irish and European farmers operated to the highest international standards of food safety, animal identification and traceability and strict controls on animal medicines and residue KRU NTS
‘European consumers expect that all beef on sale in the EU meet these standards. Producers and consum- ers rely on the Commission to up- hold European standards across the board,’ he continued.
“By accepting Brazilian beef im- ports, which clearly fall below Euro- pean standards, the EU Commission are failing in their duty to European consumers and undermining Euro- pean producers.”