17/04/08
A report published by the European Commission’s Food and
Veterinary Office (FVO) following its inspection of Brazil’s
beef industry has exposed ‘systemic failures in relation
to holding registration, animal identification and movement controls.’
About 80% of all cattle in Brazil are based on
tropics-friendly Nelore (zebu-type) genetics.
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The report, which was drawn up following an FVO mission in November
last year, was published last week and has led to renewed industry
calls for an outright ban on Brazilian beef imports.
Delegates on the mission uncovered numerous failings at individual
farm level including failure to report cases of Foot and Mouth Disease
and major discrepancies between the Brazilian authorities’ own
database and the reality on the ground. In one case, hundreds of
cattle from one holding which had in fact been slaughtered were,
according to the system, still alive.
Reacting to the report, NFU Scotland’s Vice-President Nigel
Miller said:
“This document reports on a mission which took place before
the Commission published its current list of 95 approved farms which
can export beef to the EU.
“It is likely, therefore, that the mission’s conclusions
finally made the Commission see sense and place its significant ban
on the majority of Brazilian beef farmers. The report’s conclusions
confirm that the EU's new controls are not only justified but should
have been introduced many years ago.
“However, we question whether these controls are strict enough
as the evidence for an outright ban continues to mount up.
“The report also destroys any pretence that regionalisation
and disease control within Brazil are at all credible. The European
Commission owes it to European producers to impose an outright ban
on imports of Brazilian beef.”
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