Pressure on Brazil's beef export compliance beginning to tell.

The National Beef Association has welcomed EU health commissioner, Markos Kyprianou’s, end of year deadline to the Brazilian authorities to correct deficiencies in the delivery of beef onto the EU market – or face a possible import ban.

 “Pressure put on the Commission by the NBA and other organisations over the last twelve months is at last beginning to tell,” said Association national chairman, Duff Burrell.

 Both last year and this the NBA has queried the integrity of Brazil’s compliance with export rules which demand that cattle moving into approved export (non-FMD) zones were resident for at least 90 days and kept on only one farm for at least forty days before slaughter.”

 “We also questioned compliance with the three month residency rule covering cattle moving into Brazil from Paraguay where FMD is endemic and the application and the monitoring of residue tests on export carcases.”

“In addition to this we required confirmation that only cattle registered under Brazil’s SISBOV identity scheme were killed for export and questioned the welfare standards that were applied to animals during transport.”

 “Commissioner Kyprianou promised to maintain pressure on the Brazilian authorities to ensure compliance and told the Association that in the event of any failures he would take the actions he considered necessary.”

“Recent FVO inspections have shown that reason to be concerned over the integrity of Brazilan deliveries still exist and this, and recent pressure from other farming organisations, has resulted in the Commission issuing its end of year deadline.”

“The NBA insists that all beef entering the UK must be produced to the same standards that are demanded of UK farmers, including farm assurance, and is pleased that most of the major supermarkets are aware of shortfalls in this area and are selling significantly less Brazilian beef through their stores.”

 “Problems about the presentation of unlabelled Brazilian beef in the service sector continue. It is now up to Brazil to satisfy EU inspectors, and the industry, that is doing everything that is demanded of it to raise standards or else face the consequences of further UK industry pressure on the European Commission to impose an EU ban similar to those already put in place by the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia.”

 “In the meantime more should be done to raise farm assurance standards, particularly transportation, in Brazil, to make sure they meet the levels required of farmers in the UK,” Mr Burrell added.

For more information contact:

Duff Burrell, NBA chairman. Tel. 07764 409027