Beef traceability must win

By James Campbell

THE pre-Christmas market price rise for beef in Northern Ireland is at risk of being torpedoed by the collapse in beef consumption in France. Most factories this week were paying 166 pence per kg for U3 carcases but were unwilling to quote prices for next week.

It is understood that EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler has proposed an Aids to Private Storage scheme to be considered at this Friday's meeting of the Beef Management Committee.

It makes an even bigger farce of the increasingly strict traceability regulations to which Northern Ireland farmers have been subjected if UK supermarkets, caterers and wholesalers will not return a premium price for this totally traceable beef.

Surely the worries about beef in other countries should be an opportunity for Northern Ireland beef to be promoted.

Beef finishers in Northern Ireland have suffered serious financial losses for the past four years. Some who have contacted the Journal believe that the authorities are trying to put farmers out of business, such is the disgust with the implementation of the cattle tagging regulations. But this attitude would not persist if Northern Ireland beef was being seen to command a substantial premium in the marketplace and to increase in value at times such as the present.

If that is not possible in the real world or in the politically sensitive European Union which imposed the beef export ban, then is it any wonder that beef farmers are sick, sore and tired of the bureaucracy.

Double tagging of animals has led to more rather than less policing of cattle herds in NI and the procedures for retagging and tag replacement are pushing the goodwill of farmers to the limit.

It's time for the Northern Ireland Minister, her Department and those selling Northern Ireland beef to stand up for the product and the local production systems. Why can't the Government fund the use of the Enfer test which would guarantee that carcases are free of BSE (or confirm the presence of the disease). This would be of greater value than all the negotiations with EU veterinary committees, civil servants and politicians.

Scottish farmers could be hit by chaos in France

Meanwhile, the National Farmers' Union of Scotland has warned that Scottish farmers could be hit by the chaos surrounding beef in France. SNFU President Jim Walker points out that the strong presence of Irish owned processors in Britain makes it obvious that Irish beef which would normally have been exported to France will be landed into Britain. There are already signs of this pressure in the English beef market.