MEP's Urged to Ban Brazilian Beef
UK - Ulster Farmers’ Union members have this week met MEP’s and a local Minister to call for a ban on Brazilian beef imports to the EU and Northern Ireland.
22 August 2007
2 minute read
| Carnlough farmer Ivan McMullan and UFU President Kenneth Sharkey discuss farming issues with MEP's Jim Nicholson and Neil Parish. |
UFU members met with EU Parliament Agriculture Committee Chairman Neil Parish MEP and local MEP’s in County Antrim to discuss issues facing the industry. UFU members in County Fermanagh also met with Neil Parish and Environment Minister Arlene Foster.
UFU President Kenneth Sharkey said Brazilian beef imports were raised at both meetings; “The recent foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey vividly highlights the farming and trade problems caused by a foot and mouth outbreak. Our members have told the MEP’s and our Environment Minister that foot and mouth is endemic in Brazil and imports can no longer be tolerated. The EU Parliament Agriculture Committee are set to meet EU Commissioners on this issue and our members have given the MEP’s a strong message that local farmers can not accept a situation where imports to the EU are produced to a lesser standard than the compulsory rules which we must comply with”.
Kenneth Sharkey added; “The EU Commission immediately imposed trade restrictions on GB following the Surrey foot and mouth outbreak, but have consistently refused to impose similar strict trade embargoes on Brazilian beef imports. This is unacceptable to us”.
UFU member Ivan McMullan from Carnlough, hosted Neil Parish MEP and Jim Nicholson MEP on his County Antrim suckler beef and sheep farm. Kenneth Sharkey said; “The beef industry is one of the sectors in the farming industry which is under tremendous financial pressure. The UK food chain is not returning a profit to our beef producers and this has to be addressed urgently”.
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