Jim Allister MEP has welcomed the announcement from DARD that the OTM scheme is to be removed and replaced with a system that will allow tested beef back into the food chain. 

Mr Allister commented, “The DUP have raised this issue on numerous occasions over recent weeks with the Prime Minister and I am glad to see that the announcement has eventually been made by Government.”

“Farmers have had to work with the Over Thirty Months Scheme since the BSE crisis in 1996.  This announcement comes at an important time with radical reform of the CAP only weeks away.” 

Mr Allister believes that the focus will now turn to Brussels to lift the beef ban.  “Whilst the OTM scheme remained in place, there was no prospect of any meaningful exports of beef from Northern Ireland into the rest of Europe.  I believe that the focus will now turn to Europe to get the beef ban lifted and resume full exports of both beef and live cattle.”

Mr Allister has called on DARD to ensure that the timetable is reduced and that beef exports can resume at the earliest opportunity.  “I was disappointed to hear that changes in export restriction ‘are not expected to come into effect until late 2005 at the earliest.’  I will be working both here in Northern Ireland and in Brussels to ensure that this timetable can be reduced and that farmers can have more markets opened for their cattle.”