NI: Fury over beef ban

By James Campbell

The imminent removal of the export ban on beef and live cattle from Portugal has sparked fresh calls for the government to take positive action on behalf of the beef sector in Northern Ireland.

The decision by the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health to lift the Portuguese embargo (as reported in last week's Journal) followed a proposal from Commissioner David Byrne and it is believed that a similar proposal would have been made for the UK if the government had made a positive decision to end the Over Thirty Months Scheme.

No such proposal was made in respect of the UK ban, in spite of the official statistics indicating that the incidence of BSE in both UK and Portugal were well below the 200 cases per million cattle, which is the upper limit for so-called "moderate risk" BSE status.

Expressing frustration on behalf of farmers the Ulster Farmers' Union Hill Farming Committee chairman John Sheridan listed the disadvantages faced by cattle producers in NI this week as farmers started to receive information about their future Single Farm Payment support.

Sheridan pointed to:

• Beef cattle prices £75 per head below mainland Britain

• Some feed prices 20% higher

• £70 to £150 gap between OTM prices and fat cow prices in the real market in Republic of Ireland

• £4.5 million in LFACA payments delayed

• Several hundred farmers entangled in the 5% heifer penalty ruling for the 2003 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme

The UFU chairman also referred to possible top-up support for suckler cow farmers in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland when the SFP is introduced next year. He said that this could put NI farmers at further disadvantage.

Sheridan said that hill farmers are totally frustrated by red-tape technicalities on a range of issues. In particular UK governments delay in bringing an end to the Over Thirty Months Scheme is seen as a double whammy through lower prices and preventing the removal of the beef export ban as is occurring in Portugal. He also pointed out that the re-opening of live cattle exports would open up the market for calves to Holland and is sorely needed by dairy farmers as we move into the unsubsidised era.

Sheridan said it is time for DARD to give producers some sign of support by arranging to issue the advance payments of 2004 livestock premia at the first available opportunity in mid October. He also called on other producer organisations to present a united front in explaining to beef processors the full cost of producing beef as discussed at the recent LMC Conference. Sheridan stressed that farmers must avoid using their Single Farm Payment to subsidise beef production for processors and consumers at prices below the true cost.